Chronicles of Darkness Part I: Fugitive Hearts
by bigadiggityd
Summary: Imagine that one minute you are the worlds hero having saved the worlds twice. Now imagine the next minute you're running from your friends because they say you are a traitor, and the one person you care about most can't help you. Complete.
1. Destiny Island Two Years Later

**Chronicles of Darkness**

**Part I: Fugitive Hearts**

_A brief description of this story. This is a story largely inspired by the "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic series story arch known as Endgame, which in turn is based off of the hit 1993 Harrison Ford film, "The Fugitive". I thought it would be a great idea to spin it off into a Kingdom Hearts variation of the story. This story was given a teen rating for language, certain themes, and violence, but mostly just to be on the safe side. This is my first actual fan fiction so please, be gentle! I hope you all like it! _

**Chapter 1: Destiny Island…Two Years Later**

It has been two years since the fall of Organization XIII, and a lot had changed. Twenty-two months ago, King Mickey launched a communications satellite, which linked up all the various worlds, forming the Heartless Warning System or H.W.S for short. It was a major breakthrough that was met with widespread approval. However, when Mickey called for the opening of various paths to the worlds; it was met with mixed reactions. Some, such as the representative from Halloween Town and Agrabah, were for the proposition, seeing the benefits. Still, others like the Beast and King Triton preferred to keep their worlds isolated from the others; after-all they had gone to great lengths to strengthen their worlds after the Keyblade Master's last visit. In the end nothing was done, as neither side could gain a clear majority. While the King was disappointed, he at least had the means to communicate with the other worlds, should another Heartless attack break out. Fortunately, it had been relatively quiet for the last two years.

Life was much calmer than Sora, Kairi, and Riku were used to. Without any heartless around, they finally had time to be normal high-school students. This was good too, as they all had some catching up to do, especially Sora and Riku! Kairi had missed the least amount of school amongst the three, and she was in her senior year thanks to some summer classes; while Riku and Sora were still in their sophomore years, despite Riku being eighteen. Still they saw each other everyday, and hung out all the time; be it at the mall or their island. Still, it wasn't all fun and relaxation for the trio; they were King Mickey's first wave of defense. A little over a year ago, the King made Riku and Sora, the first line of defense, should a heartless outbreak occur. Shockingly to Sora and Riku, the King also called for Kairi to serve alongside the two, and entrusted her training to the duo. So the three have been attending school as well as training Kairi in the ways of the Keyblade.

Romantic feelings had continued to grow between Sora and Kari as well over the last two years. While they weren't officially a couple, it was obvious to everyone that they were far more than just friends. However, neither one had made a move yet, which had put some strain on their friendship. Still, they remain very close friends.

Riku had developed into a ladies man, if you will. Numerous girls had been eyeing Riku since his return, but he had shown little interest in any of them. He still had some feelings for Kairi, but had long since accepted that she was Sora's girl, even though Sora would deny it all the time. He spent most of his time training, so that he would be prepared for anything that emerged as a threat.

Their friends had also grown up and changed as well. Tidus was captain of the school Blitzball team, taking over the position from Wakka after he graduated the previous year. Tidus and Selphie were now an item, easily the most prominent couple in school. Selphie was the class president and homecoming queen to boot. Despite their popularity, they didn't forget who their friends were, and would often hang out with Sora, Kairi, and Riku. Wakka, who was picked up by the local Blitzball team, the Destiny City Sharks, would hang out with them as often as he could.

Through their communications with King Mickey, they were able to learn about their various friends across the worlds as well. Their friend Donald had finally tied the knot with his long time sweetheart Daisy, but they knew about that, since they were at the wedding. They knew about Goofy's new adopted son Max as well. They knew that Queen Minnie was still her gracious self, and that Chip and Dale were still doing fine. However, they did not know what had happened to their various friends in the other worlds. Mickey's communications line was able to put them in touch with them.

In Radiant Garden, things were going smoothly; as the town was rebuilding and becoming more and more like the town it had been in the past. Leon and Yuffie had apparently settled down and were in charge of overseeing the rebuilding town. Cloud and Aerith also had tied the knot, though Cloud still maintained look-out for his arch-enemy, Sephiroth. Cid was as busy as ever, reprogramming various aspects of the city, as well as managing his own Gummi Ship business. Merlin was in and out often, as he was traveling around the various worlds, and apparently spending a great amount of time with a young boy named Arthur in a distant world.

Other friends from the other worlds were doing well also. In Agrabah, Aladdin had married Princess Jasmine, and the Genie was off seeing the world. Over in Halloween Town, Jack Skellington had settled down with Sally, and they ruled as the King and Queen of Halloween Town. The whole town was busy working towards Halloween. The Mayor had been re-elected to an unprecedented 10th term in office, but it was a given as he was unopposed.

Some places, they couldn't get much info out of. The only thing that the three knew about Beast and Belle, was that they were both fine, and not in any danger. King Triton in Atlantica wasn't much help either, other than that Ariel and Prince Eric had gotten married, and had a daughter. Neverland was the same way, with Pan not giving any information except that he was in good health. Port Royal? They hadn't heard anything from Will, Elizabeth, or…well; they really didn't expect to hear much from Captain Jack Sparrow.

Some worlds had special representatives in charge of keeping up communications with King Mickey, most notably the Pridelands and the Deep Jungle, which lacked someone that would know what they were doing. Lions were not all that adept at technology, and Tarzan had moved to England with Jane, leaving the gorillas and Professor Porter the only inhabitants of the jungle. All in all, everything seemed quite peaceful.

However, if history teaches us anything, it's that it more often than not repeats itself. Certain things that happen in the past can be reborn again in the present. The results of these events could have disastrous ramifications.

_Somewhere…_

The rain trickled down on the abandoned road, as a rather large cloaked figure trudged down the path. Broken windows, and boarded up doors lined the cracked and forgotten sidewalk; and every building on the street was all but condemned and covered in graffiti.

"This place is a dump."

The cloaked figure moaned in a low gruff voice and pulled his coat up. He gazed down the road; near the end of the street was a small hut.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this! I was supposed to be living in a castle or someplace fancy!"

He sighed as he approached the hut. The hut seemed to droop at the middle, and the shutters were practically falling off. Another sigh escaped his lips as he gazed upon the house, noticing the shoddy gate that surrounded the weed infested yard.

"Well, at least the roof is holding up fer now." He noted.

The figure turned his attention back to the house, but stopped when he noticed a dim green glow emanating from the cracked windows.

"That's strange…"

The figure thought. "I thought I flushed the toilet!"

He walked up the creaky steeps to the jarred door. He slowly opened the door and peered into the main room. The place was a sty, just as he had left it, food and clothing all over the place. The room was poorly lit, with stains of food all over the yellow, peeling walls. He looked towards the greenish glow that came from the small fireplace in the center of the room. He then turned his eyes to the two figures in the corner of the room. He recognized the first one instantly from the green flames surrounding her and the horns on her head.

"M...M...Maleficent!!" He choked out.

"Hello Pete, you bumbling idiot!" Maleficent snapped back.

The giant cat-like creature removed his cloak and gaped at his former master. He was taken aback by her presence. She hadn't changed much since he last saw her in Xemnas's castle. Same pale-green face, same evil aura, and same staff, the only difference appeared to be a newer cloak that seemed to be a bit lighter than her older, darker, cloak.

"I haven't seen you since we battled those heartless!" Pete thought back to that battle…

_They had gotten separated; he was too busy barreling through the vast amount of heartless, and forgot about her. After the battle was over, he searched for her, but to no avail. He then left to search for her, settling in his current home, as a sort of command center generated towards finding his master._

"Yes Pete, you took off like a buffoon, and I took care of the remaining heartless. Then I went to see how the fight between Xemnas and the bearer of the Keyblade turned out. Once it was concluded; I left to take care of some other business." Maleficent responded.

"Namely…me."

Pete turned to the other figure in the room. He was so shocked by Maleficent's return, he completely forgot about the other cloaked figure present. He stepped from out of the shadows and took off the hood of his cloak. He was an average sized man looking to be around 6 foot, and appeared to be in his late twenties. He had silver hair that went down to his shoulders, and fanned out at the bottom with red tips. He had two distinguishable scars one over his right eye, and the other along his left jawbone. His eyes were intriguing as well, as the left eye was blue and the right was a milky white. He had no facial hair, and his skin was rather pale. He had well-defined jaw bones, thin eye brows, and a hard chin. He was wearing a cloak similar to what the Organization members wore, except his was silver, with blue streaks streaming across it.

"Who in the hell are you?" Pete inquired.

Maleficent shot Pete an incredulous look, which made Pete's spine shiver. The mysterious man merely shrugged it off.

"I am a mistake, a forgotten abomination of God's great design." He spoke with a low baritone voice that had a little rasp to it.

"You may call me…Ankoku."

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Introductions Aside

_Okay, you may have noticed that I changed the rating. This is merely done to save my rear, in case someone thought that what I wrote wasn't suitable for the teen audience. Plus some things will get pretty mature in this story. _

_Also some legal mumbo jumbo that I didn't state earlier:_

_I don't own any of the characters in this story; with the exception of Ankoku. All characters and world names are the copyright of Disney and Square-Enix._

_Okay here's Chapter Two! _

**Chapter 2: Introductions aside…**

"Here you go Maleficent!" Pete bellowed, as he presented his master with a cup of tea.

Maleficent regarded the cup with considerable contempt, as she saw what appeared to be black hairs floating in the brown, murky, liquid. She set it down on the small side table to her right, and watched her lackey plop down on the sofa opposite her. The sofa seemed to groan under Pete's immense weight.

"So I uh… had a few questions…uh, how did it go with that castle?" Pete asked.

"As well as it could, I now make my permanent residence in Xemnas's old castle. I've been working on regaining control of the heartless, in the aftermath of that whole affair as well. I also have begun plotting vengeance on that wretched boy and the King." Maleficent's response came.

"So why didn't you contact me or something?" He inquired.

"Simply because the time wasn't right; I didn't need you at that time, but now I expect at my side once again like the faithful lickspittle you are!" She spat out.

"Ye…Yes Maleficent!" Pete stuttered.

He turned his attention back to the other figure occupying a space in his family room.

"How about you Mr. Anakiki…koko…" Pete strained his brain trying to remember how to pronounce his name.

"Ankoku." He responded.

"R-Right…so what's yer story?" Pete asked.

Ankoku got up and walked over to the fireplace. He placed his forearm on the mantle and gazed into the cracked, dirty mirror that hung above. Pete noticed a white symbol on the back of his cloak, which looked to be a modified heartless symbol. Ankoku slowly turned back around and faced Pete.

"I was born, an unwanted child. My mother was very young when she gave birth to me; and her parents, decided it would be for the best if I was placed up for adoption. I was in and out of various orphanages until I was eighteen years of age, at which point I was thrown out to the streets."

He closed his eyes as he remembered his time spent on the streets.

"I would search for scraps of food, and I would work any odd jobs that I could find. I would sleep in places that you could only see in your nightmares. I would wander for six long years. Then one fateful night, I came to a small laboratory in search of work. A man by the name of Ansem took me in giving me food and clothing; as well as a place to stay the night, but couldn't give me work. Still he had shown me more kindness than anyone had in my entire life."

His eyes seemed to burn with rage, and his fist clenched as he remembered what happened next.

"However, that night as I slumbered; I was dragged from my bed, and strapped down to a laboratory table. Four men surrounded me and hooked me up to a variety of machines. I couldn't recognize any of them, as they all wore hoods over their heads. They performed experiments on me for a week, injecting various toxins and other strange chemicals into my body; before they threw me out in to the wilderness, labeling me a failure, and that they had to get rid of me before Ansem found out."

He started to shake uncontrollably, before calming himself down.

"I wandered aimlessly until I came across a river bank. There I gazed in horror at what they had done to me. My face…my eye…"

He gently touched both scars, and gazed at his face again in the mirror.

"I loathed those men… and all of society for what they had done to me. I never did anything to them, yet I went through life in constant pain, both physical and emotional. Over time, I began to see what it was that they had done to me. I was able to discover new powers and abilities that I must have obtained from the experiments. Later I went back to the house where I was tortured for a week, to perhaps find out more about these strange new powers that I had. Upon arriving, I found the house all but abandoned, with no sign of Ansem. As I searched the home, I was shocked to find numerous texts concerning the heart and the darkness inside of it. As I delved deeper, I found remnants of the experiments that they performed on me. I learned that they were planning on using me as a short of channel between human and heartless; hoping to turn me into a new weapon to have at their disposal. What they would do with me after that, I don't know, but their experiments left me with the ability to tamper with the darkness in people's hearts; using it to manipulate the will of people susceptible to it. My new powers also granted me the ability to contort darkness itself, making it animate, allowing me to form objects, merely by thought! All this power… as well as power over the heartless!"

He turned back to Pete with a sinister gleam in his eye, which caused Pete to shrink back in his seat.

"This divine gift will be used for my retribution on the world that did so many wrongs to me. I too share the dream of a world covered in darkness, from where no light can escape; and with Maleficent's help it shall become a reality!"

Pete glanced between Ankoku and Maleficent.

"Well, it seems that yous guys have a plan! But, what about the king and that twerp?" Pete asked.

The two shared a glance, and then laughed at the apparent absurdity of Pete's statement. Pete, to his part, looked befuddled by this response.

"Don't worry you simple-minded fool," Maleficent chortled.

"We have someone working behind the lines, so to speak."

The main door swung open, causing Pete to fall off the couch. He looked up to see another hooded figure walked in. Ankoku smiled at the new entrant.

"Excellent, we all seem to here! Now…let's get down to business…"

_Meanwhile…_

The white, foamy, waves crashed on to the sun-kissed beach of Destiny Island. Palm trees dotted the coast line, and rode the gentle breeze back and forth. The breeze felt good on the back of Sora's neck, as did the sand that covered his feet. He sighed as he laid his head back down and closed his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well the last few nights; he kept seeing strange visions, much like the ones he had before he and his friends were swept away from their island almost four years ago.

"What could these mean?" He thought to himself.

They showed strange images: a waterfall…Disney Castle…and a crashed Gummi Ship. There was one vision however, that Sora couldn't shake out of his mind…

_There he was in a black void, Keyblade in hand facing off against a cloaked figure. He engaged the figure in battle, attacking with ferocity the likes of which he never had, sending the figure reeling. He quickly used an upper slash technique, back-flipping off of the attack, and caught the figure with a horizontal slice across the midsection as he dashed past. Suddenly a weak voice cried out…_

"_S…Sora…" _

_Sora turned around and watched in horror as the figure turned into Kairi, who was clutching her mid-section. Sora's eyes grew wide as he gazed down at Kairi's mid-section, and the blood that was seeping through her white shirt. _

"_Kairi…I…I" He stammered._

_Kairi just looked at him with tears in her eyes…_

"_How could you Sora…? I love…d…yo…" She trailed off and disappeared. _

_In her place popped up Leon, Cid, Riku, and the King. They all were screaming and pointing at him, their faces boiled over with rage; but Sora couldn't make out what they were saying. Sora felt a small rumble and a cage shot up around him. Sora looked around the cage, but couldn't see anything. He backed up slowly until his left calf grazed something. He looked down at the cut marble sculpture and read the inscription:_

_**Here lies Kairi Uchida **_

_Sora's eyes grew wide again, but by the time it had registered, a hole had opened up and Sora was falling. Sora looked down and saw nothing but flames and thousands of heartless. He tried to call for his trusty Keyblade, but he couldn't! He fell faster and faster, inching closer to the ground. He closed his eyes and braced for the impact…_

"_SORA!!"_

Sora's eyes snapped to attention and he shot up. He felt the ice cold sweat running down his spine, his heart going a mile a minute, and the heavy breaths he was taking. He turned to his left to see a pair of concerned blue eyes, partially covered by long, auburn, hair.

"Are you alright? You were shaking and moaning…I was worried…" Kairi said quietly.

Sora groaned as he stood up and slipped on his sandals. Kairi smiled a little. It was so weird seeing him in something other than his battle garments. Sora wore light khaki cargo shorts, with a white label tee. He wore a blue, long-sleeved, button up, collared shirt with white vertical strips over the tee, and rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. His silver crown emblem was still draped around his neck. He had grown a little bit in the last few years, standing around the six foot mark. His body was slender, but very athletic. His skin was quite tan from spending all that time on the beach. He was still clean-shaven, and his hair was still as spiky as ever. His hair was more of a lighter brown due to all the excess sunlight that he was getting.

"Yeah Kairi, I'm okay…"

Sora stated half-heartedly, not really looking at her. Kairi stood up, dusting the sand off of her clothes. Kairi had matured as well over the last few years. Her hair had grown longer and the rest of her body had matured fully; she had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her skin had tanned as well from the beach, but not as much as Sora's. She wore a white mini, with a pink baby tee with the label "princess"; fittingly enough. A pair of white sunglasses was sitting on top of her head, and she wore a pink set of sandals. She wore a small silver necklace with a tiny jeweled Keyblade on the end that Sora had given her for her birthday a year ago. She looked at him with curiosity.

"Are you sure Sora? You looked like you were having a nightmare!"

Sora ran a hand through his hair and looked out to the sea.

"Yeah…so where's Riku?" Sora responded, quickly changing the subject.

Kairi eyed him suspiciously, but decided against pressing the issue.

"He's at the mall with Tidus and Selphie; you were supposed to meet us there half an hour ago!"

Sora winced remembering that he was supposed to meet them.

"Sorry Kai, I forgot all about it…"

Kairi laughed. "God, how I love that laugh," Sora thought to himself.

"It's okay Sora, we kinda figured that you'd be lying on the beach; come on everyone's waiting!" She exclaimed grabbing his hand and running towards the mainland.

The island hadn't changed much, except now there was a bridge that connected it to the mainland. Still, even with the bridge the island was often deserted, making a perfect relaxation spot for Sora. They arrived at the mall about half an hour later. They walked into the entrance, passed several stores and made their way to the food court. There the rest of the gang was seated at a table. Sora looked at his friends: Tidus had certainly grown, boasting a more muscular physique due to Blitzball. He wore a yellow muscle shirt, and black board shorts with blue streaks. Selphie was still short, but she too had grown up like the rest of them. Her hair was shorter than Kairi's, and she wore it up in a pony tail. She wore a light blue halter top, with white Capri pants and light blue and white shoes. Sora turned his best friend Riku. He was no longer shorter than him, but Riku was more toned than Sora. His hair was the same length as it had been two years ago. All in all he hadn't changed much. He was wearing a white graphic tee, and a pair of low rise, boot cut, jeans. A pair of sandals completed Riku's ensemble. He was the first to notice Sora and Kairi.

"Well, well if it isn't the lovebirds!" Riku snickered.

Tidus and Selphie looked up from their sandwiches and smiled at their friends. Sora grimaced at Riku's taunt. Kairi simply turned and blushed a little.

"Shut it, Riku!"

Riku laughed at Sora's response and Kairi's blushing. Tidus and Selphie went back to their conversation as Sora and Kairi sat down with the rest of the gang. They chatted away for almost an hour, with Sora being unusually quiet. Tidus and Selphie were talking about the upcoming dance, and inquired if their friends had found dates.

"I'll probably end up going stag." Riku said before taking a sip from his drink. Tidus looked over at Sora.

"What about you Sora? Are you and Kairi going together?"

Sora didn't respond to the question as he was too busy thinking about those visions.

"HELLO!!! EARTH TO SORA!!!" Tidus yelled. Sora snapped to attention.

"Oh…uh…sorry guys…I was thinking about stuff…" Sora replied quietly.

Tidus looked at the rest of his friends and shrugged. They went back to their conversation. Kairi merely looked at Sora closely. She had known him long enough to know when something was bothering him. She had never seen him this down before. She mustered up the courage to say something.

"Sora…what's wrong?" Kairi asked in a gentle tone. Sora looked up at her with a listless expression.

"Nothing…" Sora responded flatly.

"Sora, you have been off in another world for the past two weeks, and something has been bothering you. I'd rather have the old happy, cheerful, Sora than this depressed version of you. Please Sora, I'm begging you…" Kairi pleaded, rubbing Sora's arm for added emphasis; "Tell me what's wrong."

Sora looked at her hand on his arm, and gazed into her eyes. They seemed warm and comforting, but he couldn't tell her. What would she say?

"I'm sorry Kairi; I just don't feel like talking about it." He murmured as he looked to the ground. Kairi pressed the issue further.

"Sora…I want to help you…can't you just let me help you?" She pleaded again.

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" Sora snapped back.

Kairi's hand recoiled in shock from the tone of Sora's voice. The other people at the table looked at Sora with stunned faces as well. Sora looked around and then back at Kairi; he then got up and walked away. Kairi got up to follow him but Riku motioned for her to stay there.

"I'll go." Riku said as he got up and followed Sora. He found Sora sitting on a bench outside of an accessory shop. He walked up and plopped down next to his friend.

"Munny for your thoughts?" He asked his friend.

Sora looked at him, contemplating telling him about the visions that he was having, but decided against it.

"I'm just worried about my Chemistry class; I think I may have failed the last test." Sora lied to his friend.

Riku looked at his friend; he could tell he wasn't telling him everything, but realized that he wasn't going to get any answers. He stood up and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Relax, what's Chemistry to the Keyblade's Chosen One? If you need help ask Kairi, she's a whiz at that stuff." Riku then got a mischievous look on his face. "And if you're asking Kairi stuff, maybe you should throw in something about the dance next week?"

Sora rolled his eyes, causing Riku to laugh again. He started to walk away and turned back to Sora. His face suddenly turned more serious.

"Sora…we're friends…all of us…you…me…and Kai. Friends trust each other. If something's bothering you, you can tell us; we are here for you man." He spoke in a low tone.

Sora looked at him and forced a smile. "Yeah I gotcha…thanks Riku."

Riku nodded and made his way back to the group.

"Come back when you are ready!" He called back to Sora.

Sora nodded, and went back into thought. He absolutely hated lying to his friends, but he wasn't sure how they would interpret these dreams, especially the one involving Kairi. Sora sighed and hoped that the dreams were meaningless. He stood up and walked back towards his friends. His friends glanced at him as he came back. He bypassed them heading straight to Kairi and put a hand on her. She smiled at him and put her hand on top of his. They stayed and talked for a while before they left to their houses for the night. Sora walked Kairi home, giving her a hug and assuring her that everything was fine. Sora arrived at his house a short while later. The lights were all out, and he found a note on his fridge stating that his mom had gone out for the evening. Sora made himself a ham sandwich, and sat down on the couch. He ate his sandwich in peace until a voice appeared in the back of his mind.

"I know what's troubling you Sora…" The voice was a male's and was kinda low.

"Not now Roxas." Sora responded telepathically to his nobody. Suddenly a spirit jumped out of Sora and took a seat on the couch. The spirit had blonde hair that was shorter than Sora's but it was just as spiky. He was about the same height as Sora, but a little less toned. Sora noticed a change in clothing on his nobody. He wore camouflage cargo shorts and a gray shirt.

"New outfit?" Sora asked. Roxas grinned.

"You like?"

Sora smirked, "Actually, I'm more interested to know how you managed to get those…"

"Simple, Naminé gave them to me." Roxas beamed.

Sora stared back at him; then put his hands behind his head and laughed a little.

"That just raises further questions!"

Roxas shrugged. "Hey I'm not gonna complain, I like em, and she likes em, so it's all good."

Sora laughed again.

"So how's it going with you guys? Neither one of you came out at the mall." Sora inquired.

"Well, we wanted a little bit of privacy, seeing as we don't see each other that often; of course we could fix all that if you and Kairi started dating; then we could see each other all the time!" Roxas chided. Sora groaned.

"Oh come on Roxas, I already have to hear that all the time from Riku, now I gotta hear it from you too?"

Roxas snickered. He didn't want to tell Sora that he and Riku had decided to tag team him on the Kairi subject.

"I just don't know…I mean…I like her and all…" Sora started.

"Just _like_?" Roxas teased. Sora threw up his hands signaling that he gave up.

"Alright…LOVE her." Sora said flatly, glaring at his nobody. Roxas meanwhile stared back at him with a Cheshire cat grin.

"It's just…I don't know…maybe she doesn't feel the same way?" Roxas was about ready to slap him.

"Wow Sora, I'm dumb as a box of rocks and you SOMEHOW manage to come underneath me. OF COURSE SHE LIKES YOU!!! You'd be an absolute fool not to see that! I don't buy that reason for a second!"

Sora looked at his nobody. "Well what do you want?"

Roxas looked him dead on. "I want the real reason; and don't give me that 'she likes Riku crap' that kept you two from dating for a year, despite Kairi not even attempting to establish anything beyond friendship with him."

Sora looked away. "There is no other reason…"

Roxas looked at him. "It's that dream isn't it…" Roxas said in a low voice.

Sora snapped back around. "How do you know about that!?"

Roxas merely looked back at him. "Sora, I live in your mind, I can see it all."

Sora sighed and got up to leave. He really didn't want to discuss that dream with anyone, even if they already knew about it. He looked back at his friend. "Please don't tell anyone else about it…"

"Sora, they are your friends! They won't be scared off by some silly dream! Just tell them, and listen to what they say…" Roxas protested before Sora shushed him.

"I will talk about it when I'm good and ready too; but until then, I want you not to say anything. Okay Roxas?"

Roxas rolled his eyes but reluctantly agreed. Sora thanked him.

"I'm going to bed, are you coming up?" Sora asked. Roxas shook his head.

"Nah, I'll be up in a little bit though." Sora nodded.

"Night Roxas."

Sora left the living room and trudged up to his room. He opened the door and flicked on the light, gazing at his surroundings. Everything was where it should be; but there was something lying on his bed. Sora moved in closer and gazed upon the object, which he recognized as a letter. He picked up the letter and looked at it. The front was unmarked; and Sora got an uneasy feeling as he turned the letter over. His fears were confirmed by a green symbol on the back of the letter. Sora recognized the symbol right away: it was King Mickey's.

**End of Chapter 2**

_Whew, not bad for one day of writing! The next chapter won't be as long, but the really good chapters are coming up! Please review and tell me what you all think!_


	3. The New Mission

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters in this story except Ankoku _

**Chapter 3: The New Mission**

Roxas came back upstairs, and found Sora sitting on his bed staring at a piece of paper. A look of concern was on his face, as he fiddled with the piece of paper, seemingly reading it over and over. His face was pale.

"What's wrong? You look like your best friend died…" Roxas stated

Sora looked up at his nobody, then right back down at the paper.

"It's a letter from King Mickey; I'm needed on a mission." Sora said in a way that was best used for parlaying bad news.

"So why do you sound so down? You've done many missions like this! Why should you be concerned about this one? What does the note say?" Roxas responded, each question rattled off in rapid succession.

Sora looked at the letter and read it out loud, almost from memory.

_Sora…_

_There is trouble a brewin in a sector near Twilight Town. We received reports of major heartless activity, and we need you to check it out. I will be sending a gummi ship around 10:00 to your island._

_- King Mickey _

Sora put the note away. Roxas looked up at the clock on the wall. It was half past 9. Sora got up and started rummaging around. Roxas watched him place a duffle bag on his bed, and threw in his usual battle garments. It was the exact same that he wore when he fought the Organization, but he had a new one made, to make up for the fact that he had grown a bit since then. He also got his old pair of black and golden yellow shoes as well. He went to a closet and grabbed several potions, as precautionary measures. Roxas stared at the way Sora was preparing for this mission, and it seemed like he was preparing for a funeral.

"Is it that vision that worries you about this mission?" Roxas asked.

Sora stopped what he was doing. He turned to his nobody, saying nothing. He then walked up to him. He put his hand out, past Roxas's face reaching towards the various key-chains that adorned his wall. His arm pulled back and Roxas saw two key-chains in his hand; one a dark crown, which created the Oblivion Keyblade. The other contained the emblem of a Papou fruit, which formed the Oathkeeper Keyblade. He turned back to his duffle bag and packed all these things into it. He slung the bag over his shoulder and turned to his nobody.

"Are you coming?" Sora asked.

Roxas sighed. He really wished he could fight alongside him, but if he had to watch, than that was what he was gonna do. Roxas quietly walked back into Sora.

"Let's go…" Roxas sighed.

Sora made his way across the bridge to the island. He saw a gummi ship taking off, and he saw another on the beach with two figures in front of it. This made his heart drop, especially as he drew closer. He figured that Riku would have been asked to help with the mission; but not her.

"Not Kairi…"

The two smiled at Sora as he approached them. He winced when he saw Kairi dressed in her battle garments. They were exactly like what she had worn when they battled Xemnas, but they had loosened it up a little at the bottom, to allow more movement. He had clung to a small hope that she was just there to say goodbye, but that seemingly washed away upon seeing her dressed for battle. Riku was wearing his traditional battle garb as well, and was loading up the ship. Riku looked up from his work to see Sora arriving.

"You just missed Donald and Goofy, but they said that they had to go ahead and they would meet up with us later. Are you ready to go?" Riku asked.

"Yeah…" Sora said uneasily glancing at Kairi.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked cheerfully.

"Oh…uh…its nothing…did you get a letter from the King?" He nervously asked.

"Of course silly, otherwise why would I be here?" Kairi responded, a little befuddled.

"I dunno, maybe just to see us off?" Sora quickly responded.

His response seemed to come a little too quickly. Kairi stared at him with her hands on her hips.

"Sora, you make it seem that you don't want me to come on this mission…" She said, eyeing him closely.

Riku had stopped packing the ship and was watching intently now. Sora didn't respond, he merely shuffled his feet and walked over to the ship placing his duffle bag on board. Kairi looked a little peeved at being ignored.

"Sora! Why don't you want me here?" Kairi demanded to know.

Sora didn't respond, which served to only infuriate Kairi.

"SORA!!!" Kairi snapped.

Sora stopped and glared at her.

"Because it's not safe and you would be a distraction!!" Sora fired back.

That really upset Kairi. Roxas quickly stepped out of Sora, in hopes of soothing the situation.

Now, now…I don't think that getting testy with each other is going to solve anything. Let's just go inside the ship and do this mission." Roxas said in an effort to make peace.

"No Roxas, I think this needs to be settled now."

This voice came from Kairi, but it wasn't her who said it. Suddenly a young woman stepped out of Kairi. She had long blond hair and crystal blue eyes. She wore a white, spaghetti strapped top and a pair of denim Capri's. Roxas smiled at her.

"Wow Naminé! I love that new outfit!"

Naminé smiled. "Thank you Roxas, but we need to look at the matter at hand. For the past few weeks Sora has been acting really weird; and we need to get to the bottom of this!"

"I agree!" Kairi said to her nobody.

Sora looked around and surveyed the situation that he had foolishly gotten him into. He had two women peeved at him, Riku was staying as far away from this as possible, and Roxas was trying to play peacemaker. Kairi crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. He sighed.

"Look…I'm sorry Kai…I just have a really uneasy feeling about this mission, and I don't think that you should go." He began. "I really would feel better, if you didn't come along."

Kairi looked at him. Her eyes softened but she remained steadfast in her decision. "I'm sorry Sora, but my decision is final: I'm going with you."

Sora glared at her. A wave of anger and desperation came over him, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Fine! Go! See if I care!" He snapped.

Sora turned his back to Kairi and walked into the gummi ship. Riku watched him pass, and then looked at Kairi; she seemed stunned, but shook it off and walked into the ship. Roxas and Naminé walked in, with Roxas seemingly concerned, and Riku followed. As they all entered they heard a door slam, and figured that Sora had gone into a bed room to hopefully cool down. Kairi looked at the door with great concern.

"Sora…what's wrong with you…?"

The flight was rather uneventful, with everyone seemingly concerned about Sora's well being. They landed outside a rather large fortress, where another gummi ship was waiting for them. A door opened and Sora came out, dressed for battle.

"Sora…" Kairi started, but a hard glare from Sora quieted her down, and caused her to look at the floor.

Sora's eyes softened. He walked over to Kairi, and took her in his arms, for a warm hug. Kairi was reluctant at first, but let out a small whimper and buried her head into his shoulder. He broke apart and lifted her chin, Kairi's cheeks turned a light pink as she gazed into his sad eyes. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and walked out of the ship. Kairi watched after him, half fluttering at the kiss, half scared that Sora was not himself.

Sora walked outside, and quickly spotted the rest of the party. King Mickey hadn't changed at all, with his big mouse ears and his no-nonsense attitude when it came to missions. Donald seemed a little worn out, but that was to be expected, as the rumors of Daisy's pregnancy seem to run rampant, however, he had not been told yet. Still Donald was not stupid, and he knew something was up. Each little rumor seemed to take years off of Donald's life. Physically Goofy was the same as he was two years ago; however, ever since he became a father, he seemed to have a new found sense of responsibility. Other than that though, he was still the same old goof. The party nodded at Sora and the others who came out of the ship. Goofy wrapped Sora in a small hug, which got a half smile out of sorry. Kairi was just thrilled to see him smile, even if it was just for a moment. Then they all turned to Mickey, with hardened looks in their eyes. They all knew that there was no time for chit-chat, as there was a mission to be completed.

"Okay gang, here's the plan."

Mickey said getting right into it. He pulled a blueprint of the old run-down fortress.

"We obtained information, showing that this old fortress was a research facility for our old friend Xemnas. There is a computer inside that might contain very useful information on the heartless, and thing that went on in that facility. We also have reports that Maleficent is still out there and plotting something, so any information is vital."

"How long have we known that she has been back?" Riku asked.

"The agents I stationed in the World that Never Was, reported seeing her on several occasions in the past few days, and she apparently had several people with her. We recognized one of them as Pete, but the other two were unidentifiable."

"Great, some more people that we will have to deal with...so what do we need to do here?" Riku asked getting back to the mission.

Mickey looked up at them, and then continued.

"Unfortunately, this place is crawling with heartless. So I need you all to help clear it out. I need to access the main computer area; which is marked here on the map." He looked at Donald and Goofy. "I need you to run on ahead and clear a path in through this area here. I will follow you guys in through this adjacent path over here, and I will meet you guys in the computer room." He stated.

"Yes sir, your majesty!" Donald and Goofy said in unison as they ran off. Mickey turned back to the three remaining members of their strike force. He looked at Sora who stared back.

"Sora, there are some very strong heartless in this fortress, and the strongest activity seems to be focused in this area here." He said pointing to another room. "I need you to take them out."

Sora got up and left without a word, save one fleeting glance at Kairi. She looked at him, and he half-smiled. He had a terrible feeling in his heart, one that said he may not see her again. He quickly shrugged it off, and turned back to the task at hand. Kairi bit her lower lip and watched him walk off. She was quickly brought back to attention by Mickey saying her name.

"Riku, Kairi; I need you guys to check out the place, eliminating the vast amounts of heartless in the place. Kairi, since you are still inexperienced, I want you to stick with Riku and stay close to him."

Mickey glanced over to see Sora enter the fortress. He turned back to the duo with a dark look.

"Guys, there is another thing that I need you to do." He looked at both of them who were listening intently. He took a deep breath and slowly continued.

"Our best reports indicate that there might be a mole in our camp, one who has been keeping tabs on us and reporting directly to Maleficent. This mole has been supplying them with vital information, and with Maleficent becoming more and more active lately, this could put us at a huge disadvantage should she strike."

Riku looked at Mickey. "Well we need to cut the legs out from under this person as quickly as possible; do we have any leads?"

Mickey sighed and got a sad look on his face. "Guys…we have a pretty good idea of who the mole is…"

"Wait, shouldn't Sora know about this?" Kairi asked suddenly.

Mickey looked at her with a sad expression, and his ears drooped a little. Kairi got a weird feeling in her stomach, as if she was bracing for a punch. Riku was still waiting for an answer, although he was uneasy about it following the King's reaction to that question.

"Who is it!?" Riku finally snapped. "Who is the mole!?"

Mickey looked at Riku and then back to Kairi, who looked at him nervously, he then shook his head and sighed.

"It's Sora."

**End of Chapter 3**

_DUN DUN DUN!!!! Haha... I know I might get some interesting comments about this one...I only as that you please refrain from flaming until later...hmm on second thought, go ahead and flame, it will look better if I have more than 1 review! Chapter 4 will be up hopefully by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, and then 5 will be up before the weekend is out. I plan on it being a very long chapter and an important one. I also have numerous things going on: Seeing Pirates 3 midnight on Friday, moving in to a new place this weekend, and work as usual. Until then keep reading!_


	4. Strange Developments

_I would like to thank Shire Folk, knux33, and Ellie0223 for their reviews on my story! A brief warning as the story will get a lot darker from here on out. I hope you all enjoy!_

**Chapter 4: Strange Developments**

"You're joking, right!?" Riku blurted out.

Mickey merely shook his head. Riku couldn't believe his ears.

"How could Sora be the mole?? More importantly, why would he be? What good reason would he have for joining up with Maleficent, a person who he has fought for the last FOUR YEARS!!!?" Riku bellowed.

Kairi said nothing, she looked like she was about to cry. She couldn't believe that her best friend, the boy that she cared about more than any other person in the world, could be working for the other side.

"Look Riku, we have had numerous reports that Sora has been spotted with Maleficent by no less than three of my most reliable sources." Mickey stated.

"So? Maybe they thought they saw him and screwed up?" Riku responded.

Mickey looked at Riku and sighed.

"Look, I know it's hard to believe; I'm having a very difficult time trying to work it through my noggin as well. I don't know what to believe, but I merely want you two to be aware of this. Have either of you noticed Sora acting differently lately?" He asked.

Riku and Kairi looked at each other.

"Yeah…he's been really depressed and inconsolable the last two weeks…" Riku said slowly.

Kairi said nothing, merely thinking about the kiss that Sora had given her not twenty minutes ago; and how she felt dual emotions from it, one of love and one of fear. It was no secret that Sora hadn't been himself lately, but to think that he would turn on them, with no justifiable reason? That seemed a little far-fetched. Still, something was bothering Sora, and this latest development didn't help the situation at all.

"I'm not ready to condemn Sora yet, but I want you to keep an eye out, just in case." Mickey said.

"Fine. I don't believe this crap, but I will keep a look out…what about you Kai?" Riku said looking towards Kairi, who snapped to attention upon hearing her name.

"Y…yeah…" Kairi said, still thinking hard.

Mickey held out his hand. Riku and Kairi looked down at three wrist watches.

"Here take these; I already gave a pair to Donald and Goofy, these communicator watches will allow us to keep in contact, be sure to radio me if anything goes wrong."

Riku and Kairi nodded and took their watches. Kairi looked down and noticed that Mickey was already wearing a watch.

"Who's watch is that?" Kairi asked pointing to the one remaining watch.

"That was to be Sora's watch, but he ran off before I could get it too him. I'm not too concerned; Sora should be able to take care of himself." Mickey replied.

"Yeah you're probably right..." Kairi said, still looking at the watch.

Mickey nodded. "Okay guys, you know what you have to do…let's get it done!"

Mickey waved them off and they slowly made their way towards the fortress. Mickey meanwhile ran around towards a back entrance that he was taking to the computer room. Kairi looked at Riku.

"Riku…I'm scared…" Kairi confessed.

Riku looked at her. "Why? You've been on numerous missions before, it's not like this is your first go-around."

Kairi shook her head. "No…I meant I'm scared about Sora…" She said quietly.

Riku stopped and stared. "You don't buy that crap about Sora being a mole do you?"

Kairi shook her head. "No but something is wrong with him, and he won't tell anyone what it is! I'm so worried…" Kairi cried.

"I know Kairi, I know, but we really can't focus on that now. We have a mission that needs to be completed." Riku said.

Kairi sniffed a little, but nodded. She wiped away some of her tears, and they went towards the fortress.

Donald and Goofy were busy with the numerous heartless that kept popping up all around them. They weren't too difficult to beat; it's just that there were so many of them! Donald took out a good number of them with a thunder spell, and Goofy was able to take out numerous ones with his tornado technique. Still, they were rather easy; so it allowed them the time to converse.

"So Donald…uh… any new news from Daisy?" Goofy asked.

Donald launched another thunder attack on some heartless and let out a "humph!" Goofy smacked another heartless with his shield.

"Well gee Donald…do you think that she could be pregnant?" Goofy asked again.

Donald glared at him. "NO!" he said as he launched blizzaga at a new group of heartless.

Goofy scratched his head. "Well gawsh Donald…it sounds ta me like you don't want to be a father…"

Donald hit another batch of heartless with a blizzaga, and frowned. "NO!"

Goofy seemed puzzled by Donald's response.

"I don't get it Donald…I mean one of the best moments of my life was when I became a dad!" Goofy smiled as he remembered the day.

"Aw Phooey!" Donald responded.

Goofy took the hint that maybe he didn't feel like discussing this subject. He looked ahead and saw a door. Goofy's eyes lit up.

"Look Donald! There's the computer room!" Goofy exclaimed.

They walked through the door. The room was rather old with numerous cobwebs adorning just about everything in the room; computer included. The computer itself also appeared dated; so much that Donald secretly wondered if it would still work. The one noticeable thing about the room though, was the absence of the King. Goofy looked down at his communicator watch and spoke into it.

"Your Majesty…we're at the computer!" Goofy stated.

"_huff...okay Goofy…I'll be there in a bit…I'm dealing with a bunch of heartless here…just stay put and I'll be there in a jiffy." _Mickey's exasperated response came over the communicator watch. Goofy looked concerned.

"Gee…you think he'll be alright?" Goofy asked.

Donald waved it off. "He'll be fine; he has the Keyblade. Now let's see if this computer still works."

Riku and Kairi weren't having too many problems with the heartless; as they were mostly shadows. Kairi was fighting well, but the whole Sora dilemma was weighing heavily on her mind; and it was affecting her technique. Riku had to bail her out on more than one occasion.

"You gotta be more careful Kai!" Riku scolded as he sliced a shadow with his Keyblade; the Way to the Dawn.

"S…Sorry…" Kairi said quietly. She lowered her Keyblade as Riku took care of the last shadow in the room. Her Keyblade had a heart-shaped bottom, which stretched out into three curved blades that looked like angel wings. The entire Keyblade was a light pink color, with the exception of the blades, which were a pure white. She recalled it and Riku looked at her.

"It's Sora isn't it?" He asked. Kairi nodded.

"Look Kairi, you know Sora as well as I do, and we know when something is wrong. Obviously it's not that serious, or he would have told us about it. I believe that he will tell us when he's good and ready, okay?" Riku stated, although he didn't believe what he just said.

Kairi nodded again, although it did little to help ease her worries.

They moved on to the next room, which was strangely empty. Riku grinned.

"I guess they knew we were coming!" He joked.

Kairi half smiled at Riku's goofy grin, but suddenly Riku's face turned to one of fear.

"KAIRI LOOK OUT!!" He screamed.

Kairi turned around to see an Invisible (Author's note: heartless with the swords towards the end of the game in KH 1) with its sword raised. It brought the sword down as Kairi tried to get out of the way. The sword struck Kairi's free hand, but fortunately it only caught her watch as she rolled out of the way. Riku ran up and fought off the Invisible but soon others started to come out of the walls of the room, in addition to several Dark Balls. (Author's Note: Heartless found towards the end of KH 1 primarily in Hallow Bastion and the End of All Worlds) Riku was having a difficult time trying to help Kairi deal with these more advanced heartless as well as trying to get rid of them. They just seemed to keep coming and coming too! Riku dodged an attack by an Invisible and sliced it in two with his Keyblade. He turned to Kairi, and saw her struggling with an Invisible. Riku ran over and sliced it in half, but more came out of the wall. Riku looked at Kairi and thrust several potions at her.

"Kairi…take these and go ahead! I'll meet up with you as soon as I clear this room!"

Riku said. As he was talking an Invisible came up from behind and attempted to attack Riku. Kairi screamed, which allowed Riku to block the blade as he turned around. He turned to Kairi.

"KAIRI GO NOW!!" Kairi nodded and quickly ran out of the room.

Mickey had slowed down the heartless assault for the time being and was trying to make his way to the computer room. He entered a long dark hall, and walked all the way towards the end. He entered a new room, but noticed that he was not alone. A figure stood in the corner of the room. Mickey noticed that the man had a masculine body, but his face was covered by the shadows.

"Who are you?" Mickey called out to the strange figure.

The man didn't respond. Suddenly numerous heartless sprung out of the walls and the floors. The figure did nothing; except head out the opposite exit. As soon as he had left the room, the heartless converged upon King Mickey. Mickey produced his trademark golden Keyblade and went to work on the heartless. They were mostly the shadow and soldier heartless, so they weren't too difficult to dispatch. After they were taken care of, Mickey radioed to everyone.

"Guys; I just saw a strange character running around in here. Everyone be on your toes, I am going to follow him and see what I can find out. Donald, Goofy, I need you guys to see what you can get out of that computer." Mickey informed his team.

"_Yes your majesty!_" Donald and Goofy replied in unison.

"Riku I need you to look after Kairi okay?" Mickey asked.

He heard a grunt on the other hand, as if Riku was locked in battle. He heard a yell, and then panting. Suddenly Riku's voice rang in loud and clear.

"_Well, that may be a problem…you see we were ambushed by stronger heartless, and I sent her out of the room cause she was in danger here._" Riku said with a hint of exhaustion.

"Kairi…can you hear me?" Mickey asked.

There was no response from Kairi. Mickey turned his attention back to Riku.

"Riku, you need to find her!" Mickey stated.

"_I'm on it!_" Riku said.

Mickey looked up and walked into the other room. It was rather empty containing no heartless or the mysterious figure. Mickey was about to leave the room when he heard something drop down behind him. He turned around and saw the mysterious figure that he had seen earlier. The person's face was still in the shadows, but he could make out the rest of his body. What he saw filled him with concern. He addressed the figure.

"Sora? Is that you?"

The figure said nothing, but took two steps forward so that his face was in the light. The King recognized him immediately as the Keyblade's Chosen One. Mickey had a very uneasy feeling about seeing Sora there, and especially the way that Sora was looking at him.

"Sora, how is the heartless extermination going?" Mickey asked nervously.

Sora again said nothing. Suddenly he raised his right hand and produced his Keyblade. Mickey looked worried.

"Sora…what are you doing…?" Mickey asked.

Sora still said nothing, but his lip curled up into a sneer. Mickey saw this, and read the writing on the wall. He too produced his Keyblade, and just in time as Sora attacked. Sora attacked with ferocity unlike anytime Mickey had ever seen, keeping Mickey constantly on guard. Mickey seemed to be out of it as well, as there was still a level of shock that he was trying to deal with. He now would have to come to grips with the fact that the Keyblade master, was in the camp of the enemy! He continued on the defensive, mostly because Sora's onslaught left him little chance to attack. However, Mickey's arms grew tired, and this little opening allowed Sora to penetrate his defenses and deliver a clean slash on Mickey's left arm. Mickey grabbed his arm, which allowed Sora to slash his thigh as well. Mickey fell to the ground, dropping his Keyblade. He looked up to see Sora still grinning at him.

"Sora…why…?" Mickey asked.

Again, Sora didn't respond; he merely recalled his Keyblade and ran out of the room. Mickey slowly tried to get to his feet, but had some measure of difficulty standing. He slumped against the wall, and contacted the others.

"Guys…we have a major problem…Sora is the mole…I just ran into him and he attacked me."

There was silence on the other line. Donald was the first to respond.

"_WHAT!!??? WHY WOULD HE DO THAT???!!!_"

"I don't know Donald…but I need some help here, he got me pretty good. I need someone to come help me…" Mickey stated slowly.

"_I'm on my way your majesty._" Goofy said.

"Riku? Riku are you there?" Mickey asked.

"…_yes I am_…" Riku said, sounding shell-shocked by this news.

"Riku, you need to find Kairi!" Mickey said.

"_King Mickey…you don't think Sora would hurt Kairi; do you?_" Riku's voice quivered.

"Riku…Sora just attacked me…I have no idea what is going through his mind right now. We need to find Kairi and get her to safety. Then we can worry about Sora." Mickey responded.

"_Mickey…what does this mean?" _Riku asked solemnly.

"I don't know Riku…but it's not good." Mickey said darkly.

Kairi was walking through numerous corridors, thankfully not running into any danger. She looked down at her communicator watch, which had been busted from the heartless attack earlier. She took off the trinket and threw it to the side of the room. She continued down several more corridors. As she made her way down one corridor however, she started to her footsteps behind her. She quickly slid up against a wall, attempting to blend into the darkness. She looked to her left as the footsteps grew louder in the adjacent hall. She saw a tall dog with a shield walk by, seemingly in a big hurry.

"Goofy…" She thought.

She quickly ran after him and called out to him. She ran into the room where he was, only to find it empty. She saw the only exit to the room, and assumed that was the way that he went. She ran down a long corridor that led into a new room. This room was rather large, with an upper walk way in it as well. There was no other way out except for a door up on the walk way. She walked into the room.

"Goofy!!?" She called out.

There was no response. She heard someone behind her, and produced her Keyblade and quickly turned around. When she saw who it was she smiled. She instantly recognized the figure's spiky, brown, hair. She put her Keyblade away and walked up to him.

"Sora! I am sooo glad to see you!" Kairi said cheerfully.

Sora merely looked at her, not saying anything. Kairi stopped dead in her tracks. A wave of fear suddenly caught hold of her.

"…Sora….what's wrong?" She asked meekly.

Sora, again, said nothing. He quickly dropped down into a battle position, and called forth his Keyblade. Kairi's eyes grew wide with fear; and Sora seeing this, merely curled his lip in an evil grin.

**End of Chapter 4**

_Let the flaming commence! Seriously though, please continue reading as this is a very long story and this is only just the beginning. Ok, I move into my new place tomorrow and I have to do some serious packing still, so I will be occupied with that for most of today, but I hope to start chapter 5 sometime tonight and work on it tomorrow night as well. I hope to have it up by Tuesday at the very latest. Be sure to read guys and gals, because this story just got a lot more interesting! _


	5. Dark Dreams become Dark Realities

_Whew! This is the longest chapter to date! Thanks again to all who reviewed and I am glad that you are enjoying the story!_

_WARNING! This chapter is one of the mature ones in this story. Be forewarned that there is some inappropriate language and violence in this chapter!_

_(I Made a change, so that I can keep this at Teen level so more people can enjoy it!) _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 5: Dark Dreams become Dark Realities **

"Sora…what are you doing…?' Kairi asked slowly backing up.

Sora said nothing but began stalking ever so slowly towards Kairi with his blade ready. Kairi would steal glances at his Keyblade, and back to his eyes, which contained an evil gleam in them; the likes of which Kairi hadn't seen before. Kairi looked closer at Sora as she continued to back up. Something didn't seem quite right about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Suddenly, Naminé sprang forth from Kairi's body, and stared at Sora.

"Roxas! Do something!" Naminé shouted.

Silence. No blond haired teenager came out of Sora's body, or even acknowledged Naminé. Sora didn't even look at Naminé; which seemed incredibly weird to Kairi. Suddenly, Sora leapt forth and took a long horizontal slice at Kairi. Kairi was able to dodge the blow; albeit barely. Kairi had little time to regroup as Sora continued the assault. Kairi drew her Keyblade and was able to block several of his shots but she was blindsided by a hard punch to her side. She kneeled over in pain, but was able to block a smash attack. She tried to counter that move by sweeping out Sora's feet, but Sora saw it coming and was able to leap over her, and kick her hard in the back, sending her sprawling across the room. Kairi shuddered as the pain coursed through her body. She slowly began crawling, trying desperately to get to her feet. Sora, watching this transpire, slowly strolled up to her with that sadistic grin on his face.

Goofy was hot on the trail of the injured king, searching various rooms for his friend.

"Your Majesty!? Where are you!?" Goofy yelled out.

The mouse's ears perked up when heard the familiar voice.

"Goofy!! I'm over here!" Mickey called out.

Mickey heard some stumbling, and heard a big thud.

"Ouch! Hey! Who put this wall here?" Goofy called out seemingly to nobody in particular.

Mickey rolled his eyes and smiled a little. A few seconds later, Goofy's head popped in the room. He smiled at Mickey, and gingerly hoisted him into his arms, and began to walk back towards the computer room. Mickey looked up at Goofy with a serious look.

"Hurry Goofy! We have to get back to the computer room! I have a feeling that something bad is about to go down." Mickey stated.

Riku was searching high and low for Kairi, running through the various rooms of the fortress and cutting down any heartless that got in his way.

"Where could she be?" Riku wondered.

Riku was still in shock at the events that had transpired so far that night, still reeling from Sora's betrayal. He rounded a corner, as Mickey's words rang over and over in his head. He simply couldn't believe it. How could Sora, his best friend, fight Maleficent and her cronies over the last four years; and now suddenly be on her side? It didn't make sense…

"Maybe it was mind-control!" Riku wondered aloud.

"Of course! That had to be it! Sora must be under some type of dark spell, similar to how he was when he was under Maleficent's control." Riku thought.

The semi-elation that Riku experienced slowly waned as he realized that it wasn't possible. He had forgotten that Sora's heart was not only connected to Kairi, a princess of heart, but it was also connected to the door of light! A grimace came over Riku's face as he came to the realization that Sora could only willingly choose to join Maleficent and her allies. Suddenly he heard a far off scream that he immediately recognized it as a woman's.

"Kairi!!!" He cried, as he raced off towards the yell.

Goofy set Mickey down in front of the large computer screen. Donald had been able to obtain some information, but not a lot. Mickey reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case; he opened it and pulled out a small CD. He placed the CD into the disc drive and waited a few seconds for the computer to recognize the disc. Once it had been recognized, it began opening up new files and downloading them to the disc. He turned to Donald and Goofy with a serious expression.

"As soon as Riku gets back here with Kairi, our first order of business is getting her back to the ship. After that, the four of us will come back in and confront Sora; and figure out what is going on." Mickey informed the duo.

Donald and Goofy both nodded but Mickey could sense some reluctance in their body language. He didn't blame them; it definitely felt bizarre that he was ordering them to help track down the person that they had adventured with for the last few years.

"Look guys, I don't like having to do this anymore than you do. I promise you this: we will not harm him, unless it is absolutely necessary. I merely want some answers, and there still may be an explanation for all this." Mickey said, not really believing it himself.

Donald and Goofy nodded again, seemingly feeling a bit better at the situation, but still remained uneasy. Mickey sighed and turned back to the computer.

"Sora…why?" Mickey thought to himself.

Suddenly, his communicator watch interrupted his thought process.

"King Mickey!!!" Riku's exasperated cry came through the watch.

"Riku! What is it?" Mickey responded.

Riku panted, leading Mickey to believe that he was running.

"I heard a scream! I may need some back up!" Riku forced out.

Mickey entered in a few buttons on his watch.

"Ok Riku, I have your location, we'll be there ASAP." Mickey responded.

Mickey turned to Donald and Goofy.

"Let's go!"

Kairi slammed against the wall with a sickening thud. She shook with pain, as she staggered to her feet. She was covered in bruises and she was bleeding from several gashes, including a long cut along the left side of her face. She looked ahead to see Sora, still wearing that sinister grin, closing in on her. Naminé was still screaming, but she was now huddled in a corner, with tears streaming down her face. Sora paid her no attention. Kairi wiped away some of the blood. She looked at her attacker and her eyes hardened. This was not the boy that she had shared a Papou fruit with on the night of her 16th birthday, or the boy that would always be there with a funny face when she was feeling down. This was not the Sora that she knew. She slowly adopted a fighting stance, and a fire seemed to light up inside of her.

"I don't know who you are, or what you've done with Sora, but I will stop you!" She stated.

Sora's grin seemed to grow wider after that statement; and he tore into her again. This time Kairi was ready for him. She leapt over him, catching Sora completely off guard, and brought her Keyblade down hard. Sora barely had time to block the attack after he turned around, but Kairi gave him a taste of his own medicine, by delivering a square kick in the back; sending Sora sprawling. This time it was Kairi wearing the grin, while Sora wore the grim expression. Kairi charged at Sora and unleashed a vicious barrage, which left Sora constantly on the defensive. Kairi managed to land a blow to the left shoulder of Sora, causing him to wince. Kairi fell upon him with a vertical strike, but it was blocked. Kairi then countered with a boot right to the face of Sora, sending him crashing back. From the corner Naminé let out a cheer. Kairi grinned a little as Sora, very slowly got to his feet. Kairi was distracted however, by the sound of footsteps racing up behind her.

"Kairi!!" A male's voice called out.

She turned around to see Riku stumbling into the room. She looked at him and noticed that he appeared to be out of breath. He looked at her and then looked past her to Sora. His eyes grew wide with fear.

"KAIRI!!! LOOK OUT!!!" He yelled at her.

Kairi slowly turned back around, and felt an immense pain in her abdomen. She grabbed her stomach and let out a small cry. Naminé screamed from the corner, and Riku just gasped in horror. Sora stood a few inches behind her, still in his finishing position for his sliding dash attack. Kairi looked down at her stomach; her pink outfit now had a growing red stain, and she could feel the warm blood flowing from her wound. Sora stood up, and turned to look at her. His expression was solemn, showing neither happiness nor sorrow. Kairi dropped to her knees, her back turned towards her attacker. She let out another cry and collapsed to the ground. All was quiet with the exception of Naminé's soft crying. Riku was the first to break the silence.

"Sora!! How could you??!!" Riku choked out.

Sora said nothing, merely adopting the battle position, and springing forth to attack Riku. Riku blocked the attacks with his Keyblade, but was almost sapped of his abilities due to the events that he had just witnessed. He fell to his knees as Sora continued the assault. Another vicious chop and Riku's Keyblade flew from his hands. Riku didn't even attempt to call the Keyblade back to him, merely looking at Sora with a forlorn expression. Sora grinned, and raised his Keyblade to deliver the final blow.

"FIRE!!!"

Suddenly, a huge fireball nailed Sora, knocking him away from Riku and igniting parts of his clothing. He quickly rolled the flames off and staggered to his feet only to be knocked back down by a metal object smashing his chest. He was sent backwards, crashing against the wall. Sora slumped down into the corner. He groggily opened his eyes, and saw Donald, Goofy, and Mickey all with their weapons drawn. He slowly got to his feet, and quickly ran right at them. While the trio braced for an attack, Sora shocked them all by using his Keyblade like a vault; allowing him to jump to the walkway and escape through the door. Donald looked up after him.

"Should we follow him?" he asked.

King Mickey looked at Kairi, who lay motionless on the ground.

"We need to get her some medical help!" He stated.

Donald walked over to her and closed his eyes.

"Curaga." He stated.

A green light surrounded him, and a few seconds later it shone around Kairi. Donald slowly returned to normal, and Mickey checked her out. He checked her pulse for a few seconds, before turning to the rest of the group.

"She's still alive guys, but her heart is very weak. We need to get her to the hospital quickly." He told the others.

He turned to Goofy.

"Carry her back to the ship, as quickly and carefully as possible." He told him.

He looked over and motioned for Naminé to follow them, who did, and then turned his attention to Riku; who hadn't moved the entire time. He gingerly walked over to Riku, and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Come on Riku! We need to get her to a hospital." He gently urged.

Riku looked up into the King's eyes. Mickey noticed the lack of emotion that seemed to be in his eyes. He watched Riku recall his blade, and leave the room; all without uttering a syllable. Mickey followed him out as quickly as he could. He sighed as he thought about what he had to do next.

It had just started to rain as the group made their way outside. They raced towards the two gummi ships, and split up into two groups. Donald, Riku and Mickey were in one ship, while Goofy took Kairi to one of the rooms and laid her down in the other ship. Naminé followed Goofy into his ship. Goofy walked out to the main area of the ship, and sat down to launch the ship. Meanwhile, Donald was firing up the other ships engines. Mickey went over to the widescreen monitor, and got Goofy on the screen.

"Goofy, I need you to phone the hospital and let them know that we are on our way."

Goofy nodded, and got on the phone. Mickey then saw Naminé on the corner of the screen, and she looked to be a wreck.

"Naminé, I need you to look after Kairi; let us know if anything happens." He said gently.

Naminé wiped a few tears away and nodded. She walked into the bedroom where Kairi was. Mickey then ended the transmission and entered in a few other buttons. An icon that looked to be a heartless symbol cut in half with a Keyblade in the middle appeared on screen. Beneath the icon the words Heartless Warning System appeared. Mickey punched in a couple more buttons, which produced a microphone. Mickey took the microphone and spoke in a serious tone.

"Attention everyone, this is King Mickey issuing an urgent warning to all of you. Sora has betrayed us and sided with Maleficent. This is not a joke, this is very real. He is armed and to be considered extremely dangerous. He has already attacked both Kairi and myself, with Kairi in need of serious medical attention. Should you see him, DO NOT engage in combat with him for your own safety. Please contact us at Disney Castle, should you see him. End transmission." Mickey concluded.

Mickey then turned to Riku and looked at him. He noticed something different about him; physically he seemed fine, but his eyes told a different story. They seemed to be almost void of emotion. Mickey couldn't blame him, as he had to have been the hardest hit by the night's events. He had just watched his best friend attack his other best friend; and severely hurt her. He also watched that same friend turn his back on all of them. Mickey really wanted to say something that could take away the pain for him, but he just couldn't.

"Riku…I…I don't know what to say…" Mickey stammered out.

Riku said nothing, and didn't even glance at Mickey. Mickey simply looked to the ground, and then back up at Riku with a more serious attitude.

"Riku, once we arrive to Twilight Town hospital and take care of Kairi, I will have an important job for you. You may not like this one, but it must be done." Mickey informed him.

Riku didn't respond, merely gazing past Mickey. Mickey was about to say something when Donald's voice interrupted him.

"King Mickey! We're here!"

They landed the crafts on the waiting helicopter pad, and several nurses and EMTs rushed down. They wheeled a stretcher on to Goofy's ship, and quickly got the still unconscious Kairi into the emergency room. The rest of the group followed, but were directed towards the waiting room. They waited for an hour, before one of the doctors came out and spoke to them.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Rogers." He stated.

Mickey introduced himself, and everyone else in the group.

"How is she Doc?" Mickey asked.

Everyone else seemed to lean in a bit to hear what news the doctor had brought. Dr. Rogers looked around at all the expectant faces and sighed. These things were never easy to do.

"The bleeding thankfully stopped, and we were able to clean up and suture the wound. We were also able to take care of any internal injuries that she may have had."

He paused a second before continuing.

"However, she lost a lot of blood, and her heart is very weak. It's a miracle that she's still alive. She is currently attached to a life support system, and at this point its difficult to say if she will be able to pull through or not."

He paused again to let that sink in. Naminé began to weep again. He continued.

"Rest assured, we are doing everything in our power, but its really out of our hands." He told them.

Mickey thanked the doctor and turned to the group. Nobody said anything; they were still in a state of shock. He turned to Donald and Goofy.

"I want you two to stay here and monitor Kairi's condition; Naminé do whatever you can to help as well." He told them.

The trio nodded; and Mickey turned his attention to Riku.

"Riku, I am charging you with bringing Sora to justice. Use whatever means you deem it necessary to bring him in, but keep in mind that we need him back for questioning." Mickey explained to Riku.

He handed Riku a pair of shackles connected by a large metal chain. They appeared to glow as he handed them off.

"I will be heading back to Disney Castle to monitor this situation. I will be contacting you on the whereabouts of Sora, should he have already fled the fortress. Use these shackles to bound his hands together, these will eliminate his ability to use the Keyblade. Should something get out of hand, and he manages to escape, these are equipped with a tracking device." Mickey continued.

Mickey then produced a small key for the shackles. Riku said nothing. He stood up and looked at Mickey. He grabbed the shackles and walked out the door towards the ships.

"Riku!" Mickey called out.

Riku stopped and turned to see what he wanted. Mickey tossed the small key to Riku. He caught it and continued walking out of the room.

Mickey turned back to the threesome.

"Keep an eye on her, and I will see you later." He said as he quickly ran off.

Mickey arrived outside just in time to see Riku take off in one of the ships. Mickey watched him fly off and then quickly got inside the other ship and fired up the engines.

_Back at the Fortress:_

"Man! I can't believe how easy this has been!" Sora said to his nobody.

"I know! I thought these were supposed to be the strongest heartless? It's just a bunch of shadows!" Roxas responded.

"Ah well, it's not like I mind!" Sora said with a smile creeping along his face.

Roxas laughed.

"It sounds as though you are feeling better Sora." Roxas noticed.

Sora slashed another heartless that jumped out of the wall. He wiped his brow, and looked at his nobody.

"Yeah…a little better I guess…" He grinned.

"Let's keep that feeling going." Roxas said with a smile.

Sora continued attacking the various heartless that sprang up as they made their way to the room that Mickey pointed out to them on the map. He continued this until he got all the way to the end of a long hallway. There he found himself in a large room. He noticed a few bits of tile were missing on the floor and there was quite a few gashes in the walls. He looked up and noticed a walkway wrapped around the entire room. There was a doorway on the 2nd floor of the room, but the only way out on the first floor was the way that Sora entered. He heard a noise from above him, and glanced up to see a huge object forming in a black hole.

"Oh shit…" Sora whispered as the figure came crashing down, just missing Sora.

Sora waited until the dust settled to look up at what it was, but was greatly surprised by what he saw.

"A guard armor? That's it?" Sora said with disbelief.

He hadn't seen one of those in years; it was one of the first major heartless that he faced at the start of his adventure. He drew his Keyblade and attached the Oblivion key chain as Roxas quickly went back into Sora. Sora immediately targeted the arms of the guard armor, quickly taking out the right arm while he dodged the left. He then focused on it's left leg, using several sliding dash attacks and a couple strike raid attacks to knock it's leg out from underneath it. The heartless tried to keep upright but it couldn't muster enough strength to carry its weight on just one leg. Sora quickly relieved that problem by knocking out its remaining appendages in short order. The torso and head were all that remained of the heartless, and Sora was able to dodge it's desperation attacks to finish it off for good. Sora wiped the sweat off his forehead, and recalled his Keyblade. Roxas came out of Sora and gave him a mock applause. Sora grinned and took a little bow.

"Well, that takes care of the heartless…" Sora noted.

"Sora! Look up there!" Roxas yelled pointing up towards the walkway.

Sora looked up to where Roxas had pointed, and saw a figure standing on top of the walkway. He looked closer and was shocked to see that the figure looked almost exactly like him! Sora's mouth gaped in awe as the figure grinned at him. Roxas was looking back and forth from Sora to the mysterious figure, trying to piece this together.

"Who are you!!??" Sora called out.

The figure said nothing, but grinned even more. The figure drew a weapon and leapt down at Sora. Sora's eyes grew wide as he recognized the weapon: it was a Keyblade! He quickly drew his own Keyblade just in time to block an attack from the mysterious figure. The figure raced past him out the door. Sora quickly ran after him with Roxas following along.

"Wait for me!" Roxas called after Sora.

Sora raced after the figure, but was unable to catch up to him. He chased him through the various corridors and hallways of the fortress, until suddenly the figure stopped running. Sora stopped as well, anticipating some sort of attack. The figure merely looked at him and grinned, giving him the "just bring it" sign. Sora called forth Oblivion and went for a sliding dash, but the figure vanished. Sora looked around but couldn't see anyone there. Roxas ran up to him, breathing hard.

"I told you to wait!" Roxas gasped.

Sora looked around again. The strange figure was nowhere to be found. He had a very weird feeling about this whole situation. He looked at Roxas.

"Let's go find everyone else... I have a bad feeling about this whole situation." Sora said as he raced towards the exit.

Sora ran outside with Roxas wheezing behind him. Sora felt the pouring rain almost immediately; as it drenched him from head to toe. He quickly noticed that both ships were gone, and couldn't see any sign of them. Roxas had regained his composure, and began looking for the ships.

"Where did they go?" Roxas asked. Sora shook his head.

"I don't know…"

Suddenly an engine was heard. Sora looked over to a cluster of trees, and saw a gummi ship flying towards them. The wind picked up as the craft started to land, and set down about fifty yards away from where they stood. The ship opened and Riku emerged. He spotted Sora and started power walking over to him. Sora walked up towards him.

"Riku! You are not going to believe…" was all that Sora was able to get out before Riku landed a strong right hook to Sora's jaw.

Roxas looked shocked, and Sora did too as he massaged the right side of his face.

"What the hell was that for!!??" Sora yelled at Riku.

Riku's eyes which had shown no emotion suddenly darkened and seemed to bulge with rage.

"Shut your mouth traitor!" Riku said coldly.

Sora was dumbfounded and slowly got to his feet.

"What are you talking about Riku?" Sora said giving Riku a look of disbelief, still rubbing his jaw.

"Don't play dumb with me! I can't believe that you would turn your back on us!" Riku cried out in anger.

Riku drew his Keyblade, and adopted a fighting stance.

"You were the Keyblade's chosen one!! You had friends that would have died for you!! What else could you possible want; huh? What could Maleficent give you that you didn't already have!!??" Riku screamed the words all bewildering to Sora.

"Riku you're not making any sense!" He stated.

Riku let out a mighty cry and charged at Sora with a fire unlike any other. Sora was immediately on the defensive, as he really didn't want to attack his best friend. Riku on the other hand, showed no reservation about attacking Sora. The fire in his eyes seemed to grow as the night's events flooded into his memory.

"You attack the King!" He said as he took a huge swing at Sora, that Sora was just able to block.

"Then…Kairi…" He said.

Sora's eyes grew wide as he blocked an attack from Riku, reached down with his left hand and threw a glob of mud in Riku's face, buying him some time to put some distance between them.

"Kairi!? What happened to Kairi!!??" He said with panic in his voice.

Riku wiped the mud out of his eyes and glared at Sora.

"YOU TRIED TO KILL HER!!!" He screamed as he threw his Keyblade at Sora.

Sora tried to dodge it, but the blade clipped his right shoulder leaving a huge gash. Sora didn't have too much time to feel the pain, as Riku quickly followed up the attack with a solid hook, an uppercut to Sora's jaw, and finally a hard kick to the stomach; sending Sora to the ground gasping for air. The Oblivion flew out of Sora's hand, and he grimaced from the pain that coursed through his body. He felt his face start to swell up and blood was flowing from the gash on his shoulder. Pain shot through his right arm as he reached out and tried to call for his Keyblade, but Riku was quick to land a knee hard on Sora's back and held his own Keyblade to Sora's exposed neck. Riku spoke in a low, dark, voice.

"I could kill you right now, but I have an order to carry out."

Sora tried to breathe.

"Ri…ku…I'm…in…no…cent…" He gasped out.

"I told you to shut the hell up traitor!!" He snarled.

Riku reached for the shackles that King Mickey had given him, not moving the Keyblade away from Sora's throat. Roxas, who had watched the whole thing with utter disbelief, finally spoke up.

"Riku! He's telling the truth! Let him go!" Roxas pleaded.

Riku shot him an angry look.

"Shut your mouth you filthy nobody!" Riku snarled.

Roxas gasped at that response. Riku slapped the shackles on Sora's hands. As he did this, the Keyblade went back into Sora. Riku stood up, his eyes emotionless once again.

"Sora Hakiri; by the power bestowed upon me by King Mickey, I am placing you under arrest for high treason against the crown, and the attempted murder of Kairi Uchida." Riku declared.

He recalled his Keyblade and dragged Sora to his feet. He walked with Sora, who was staggering along, not fully believing what was going on; and threw him in the ship. Before he took off, he attached a smaller pair of shackles to Sora's feet. Roxas quickly went back into Sora, as Riku prepared the ship to fly to Disney Castle.

King Mickey was tired after the night's events, but tried to stay focused as his vessel approached Disney Castle. He realized that he still had a lot of work and planning ahead of him. A little screen popped up on the ship's monitor, requesting his name for clearance.

"This is King Mickey returning from Twilight Town." He stated.

VOICE ACKNOWLEDGED

The ship went on auto-pilot and cruised into the castle hangar. Mickey emerged from the ship, and looked around for either Chip or Dale, his two aviation specialists, but couldn't locate them.

"Strange…" Mickey thought as he walked up the stairs and into the castle garden.

It was nighttime, and all the flowers were closed for the night. Strangely, there were no soldiers or workers to be seen. Mickey seemed very concerned and quickly hobbled to the master bedroom. He struggled down the long hallway that led to the master bedroom. He opened the door and peered in. The room was very regal, fitting of a King and Queen. There were numerous portraits of friends and family, and a four corner bed in the middle of the elegant room. It was dark when he went inside, with only a table lamp near the bed on. He noticed a figure sitting on the side of his bed. He recognized the figure as his wife, Minnie. She had her face towards the wall and her hands in her lap.

"Hello Minnie, I'm home." He said softly.

Minnie snapped her head around with a fearful look in her eyes. Mickey noticed that she had a gag in her mouth. She let out a muffled cry, as Mickey walked into the room.

"Minnie! What happen…" was all that Mickey got out before he was smashed over the head.

Minnie let out a series of small, muffled, cries as she looked at her motionless husband. Pete stepped out from the shadows, tossing aside the broken table leg. He let out a long, loud laugh.

"I love it when a plan comes together so well…don't you your majesty?" Pete grinned at the fallen King.

He looked around the room, and reveled in the regality of it all. He laughed a little more. He picked up the unconscious Mickey and the bound and gagged Minnie, and walked to the front entrance of the castle. There was a black gummi ship that was adorned with spikes parked in front of the castle. The hatch opened and he walked inside the ship. He opened a door and tossed the King and Queen into the room. Minnie looked around and recognized the other people in the room; Daisy, Chip, Dale, and Donald's three nephews. She looked at her husband, who hadn't moved an inch. Pete walked in the room, an evil grin on his face.

"Now the boat-boy king and the rest of you losers are gonna find out what it's like to be banished from your home!" Pete growled as he slammed the door.

He sat down in the command chair and fired up the engine. The ship launched in the air, and Pete was quick to get on the phone.

"Maleficent? It's Pete!" Pete asked.

"Status report!" A sharp reply came.

Pete grinned.

"Phase one is complete; Disney Castle is ours!"

**End of Chapter 5**

_Okay that is chapter 5! I hope to have chapter 6 up ASAP, I will become busier as the summer goes on but I am going to be updating as often as possible. Later!_


	6. Sora the Fugitive

_Q: What is something that is so incredibly awesome that I don't own?_

_A: Kingdom Hearts and its characters!_

_Ankoku is mine though!_

_Enjoy Chapter 6!_

**Chapter 6: Sora the Fugitive **

"Riku! You're making a huge mistake!" Sora cried out.

Riku ignored him, trying to prepare for the trip to Disney Castle. Sora remained relentless in trying to talk some sense into him.

"It wasn't me! There was another person that looked exactly like me in there! You gotta believe me!" Sora pleaded.

Riku turned his head, and Sora hoped that he finally got through to him. Riku looked at him with the same emotionless face.

"Is that it? Is that the best excuse you can come up with?" Riku said coldly.

Sora's heart sank as Riku turned back to the control panel. He flipped a switch and Sora heard the ship's engine power on. Suddenly, the ship's engine began to stall and sputter. Riku looked at the control panel. He heard several loud thuds and looked outside. There he saw numerous heartless attacking the ship! Sora looked out and recognized the heartless as an Invisible. Riku turned to Sora.

"Friends of yours?" Riku asked glaring at Sora, as he raced outside to fight them off.

Sora looked at Roxas.

"Is it me or has Riku officially lost it?" Sora asked his nobody, as he watched Riku fight off the various heartless.

"I dunno Sora, but we need to get out of here!" Roxas stated urgently.

"Problem, I have these." Sora stated shaking his shackles.

Roxas looked around the ship, not seeing anything that he could use. He looked out the window and saw Riku fighting off numerous heartless. He noticed roughly twenty soldiers and a few fat bodies spring up from the ground and join the Invisibles. Roxas suddenly got an idea. He looked at Sora.

"Sora…I want you to hop like a bunny." Roxas said with a serious face.

Sora looked at his nobody like he had just asked him to jump off a cliff.

"Are you serious?" Sora asked, bewildered at the statement.

Roxas's expression remained unchanged.

"You are serious…" Sora muttered.

"Look Sora, we need to get out of here. If we don't there's no telling what is going to happen next. Riku is acting very strange, and I doubt he is the only one. Now… I have an idea, but I need you outside to make it happen." Roxas told Sora.

Sora sighed and slowly crawled on his stomach towards the wall of the ship. He was able to get himself sitting upright, with his back against the wall. He slowly inched his way to his feet using the wall and his legs to do so. After that, he took a deep breath, glared at Roxas and hopped foreword. Roxas grinned.

"Note to self…always remind Sora of this…" He thought to himself.

Sora was eventually able to make his way outside. It was no longer raining, but the ground was still wet and mushy from the preceding rainfall. He looked to his right and saw Riku far across the way fighting the heartless. He noticed that there were some heartless that were popping up fairly close to them. There was a Fat Body or two, a couple soldiers, and a few Invisibles. They weren't paying the two much attention, instead they immediately flied out to help subdue Riku. One of the Invisible was lagging behind. Sora quickly turned to hop away into the forest, when he heard Roxas shout.

"HEY OVER HERE!!"

The straggling Invisible noticed the two standing there, and quickly turned and began stalking Sora. Sora turned to his nobody.

"Why did you do that?!" He yelled.

"Okay, when I tell you to, I want you to fall backwards, and get your legs as wide as possible." Roxas quickly explained.

Sora just shook his head at him.

"If we make it out of this, remind me to kill you!"

Roxas laughed.

"Sure thing Peter Rabbit!"

The Invisible drew closer and closer to Sora, with its sword raised high above it's head. Sora waited until the heartless was almost on top of him. Sora shot several glances at Roxas but he didn't say anything. The heartless raised its sword up and brought it down swiftly.

"NOW SORA!" Roxas screamed.

Sora fell backwards on to his back and spread his legs as far as they would go. The Invisible's sword came down barely missing Sora's groin, and cut through the chains that bound Sora's legs together. Sora quickly rolled out of the way of the follow-up shot, and stood up next his nobody.

"That was your plan?! That thing almost castrated me!" Sora yelled, rolling away from another attack.

"Now we have to get your hands free!" Roxas stated.

Sora looked down at the two large metal objects that adorned his wrists, and then at the chain. He shook his head and ducked another swing.

"Roxas I don't think this chain will cut as easily and these things don't look like anything could get them off." Sora stated holding up his bracelets.

Roxas pondered the statement.

"Well… call your Keyblade then and try and fight off this guy!" Roxas said.

Sora adopted his fighting stance. He called for his trusty Keyblade…but nothing happened. Sora was puzzled. He rolled out of the way of another attack, and quickly tried to summon the blade again. Nothing.

"Roxas something is wrong! I can't summon the Keyblade!" Sora cried, while rolling out of the way of another strike.

Roxas looked worried.

"Can you use your magic?" He asked.

Sora shook his head and ducked another attack.

"Not without the Keyblade!"

"Well Sora…let's go to plan B!" Roxas said.

"Right! …wait…what's plan B?" Sora stated, a bit baffled.

"RUN AWAY!" Roxas screamed as he ran back inside Sora.

Sora dodged another blow and quickly sped off towards the woods.. He raced through the woods, with the Invisible following him closely behind. Sora really didn't have a clue as to where he was going, but suddenly Roxas came through telepathically.

"Sora! I know where we are! Take a left at that next tree, and run straight!"

Sora followed his nobody's directions, and soon enough he came into a clearing. Twenty yards ahead was the hole that led into Twilight Town. Sora quickly raced towards the hole and snuck inside.

Sora didn't have time to notice his surroundings as the Invisible was right on his heels. He rounded a corner and ran down an alley. He raced down the alley, knocking over trash cans and splashing in the various puddles before he came up a dead end. Roxas hopped out of Sora.

"Not good!" Roxas stated!

They turned around to come face to face with the heartless. Sora looked around but there wasn't anything they could use to fend it off. Sora tried to call forth his Keyblade, but again it didn't appear. The heartless raised it sword to attack Sora, but they saw a small fire ball nail the heartless in the back! The heartless shook with pain, and turned to face its attacker. Sora and Roxas watched with silent awe as a figure leapt down in front of them, and with several swipes of his weapon, reduced the heartless to nothing. The figure turned around and faced them. He was about the same height as Sora, with short blonde hair but it was shaped slightly different than Roxas's. He had a goatee that wrapped around his mouth, and he wore camouflage pants, and a long black shirt. Sora and Roxas immediately recognized him.

"Hayner!" they both cried out.

Hayner smirked at the two of them, and looked down noticing Sora's cuffs.

"You definitely have some explaining to do Sora." Hayner stated.

Sora looked down to the ground.

"I really wish I know what I was supposed to be explaining to everyone." He said quietly.

Hayner turned to Roxas.

"Hey stalker, long time no see!"

Roxas smiled at Hayner. To Hayner's knowledge, they had only recently met during one of Sora's last visits. However, Hayner was unaware that Roxas had known a virtual version of Hayner before that and had learned some secrets that Hayner had never told anyone. Needless to say it was baffling to Hayner that Roxas seemingly knew more about Hayner than he should have. Hayner stated that Roxas knew so much about him because he was stalking him before he met Sora, so Roxas's nickname became stalker.

"Hayner, where did that fire ball come from?" Roxas asked.

"That would be me!" a male voice called out from behind Hayner.

Sora and Roxas both looked to see a short, chubby, male around the same age as Sora, holding a lighter and some flash paper. He wore a wine and gold basketball jersey with a white headband, and a pair of jeans. He wore a pair of seemingly brand new basketball sneakers and his black hair seemed to fan out like a pineapple. Sora and Roxas recognized him as well.

"Hey Pence!" Roxas called out.

Pence looked at the two and smiled, and then noticed Sora's handcuffs. His expression quickly changed.

"It's not safe here; we need to get you two back to our hideout!" Pence said and quickly ran off.

Hayner motioned for the two of them to follow him, and they quickly ran off to their hideout. They arrived a short while later. The hangout didn't look any different from the last time that they had visited, as all the old furniture was still there. A blue trophy with four crystal orbs stood on a small table in the corner, a memento to Hayner's victory in last year's Struggle tournament; of which Sora was not a part of. A brown-haired girl was sitting on the couch when they entered and she smiled and stood up when she saw them. Sora recognized her as their friend Olette. She had changed a little bit, mostly in her outfit, as she wore a pair of light blue jeans that were ripped at the knees, with a yellow baby tee. Her hair was a bit longer, but other than that she looked the same. She walked over to Hayner and gave him a small kiss on the lips. Sora seemed a little stunned by this.

"I didn't know you guys were dating!" He said.

Hayner and Olette smiled.

"Well, we've only been dating for a month, so it was a pretty recent development." Hayner stated.

"Sora, Roxas, it's so good to see you again! How are you two doing?" she said happily, before noticing the handcuffs.

Upon seeing them her expression changed.

"Sora…it's not true is it?" She asked fearfully.

"Olette; I don't even know what is going on." Sora responded.

Sora looked around at his friends faces; all three of them wore concerned and unsure expressions. Sora got a little upset.

"Would somebody please tell me what the hell is going on!? Why am I public enemy #1 all of a sudden?" Sora yelled impatiently.

"Because King Mickey made you public enemy #1." Pence stated.

Sora was taken aback by this statement. Olette slowly continued.

"He issued a warning to all the worlds, telling us that you had betrayed all of us and joined the side of someone named Maleficent."

"MALEFICENT IS BACK??!!" Sora screamed.

Roxas remained quiet and the rest shot uneasy glances at each other. None of them really wanted to say the last part. Hayner was the one who finally broke the silence.

"And to top all that, he said that you attacked him and…" Hayner stopped and looked rather sad.

Sora looked impatient.

"Well?" He said.

Hayner looked uneasy, but eventually was able to bring himself to say it.

"He said that you attacked Kairi."

Sora looked at Hayner with disbelief.

"I would never hurt her…" Sora began to protest, but stopped when he thought about what Riku had said, and quickly put two and two together.

"Where is Kairi…is she ok?" Sora asked with fear in his voice.

The three were taken aback, they had never heard such fear in Sora's voice before. They looked at each other, before Hayner sighed and broke the news to Sora.

"When we got the transmission, we first ran over to the hospital. We really couldn't get too close because Seifer and his gang had set up a blockade. But we saw the EMT's wheel out Kairi and took her to the emergency room. I'm sorry Sora, but that's all we know."

Sora looked like Hayner had just shot his best friend and kicked him in the groin at the same time. He couldn't put words to his feelings either. Roxas looked shocked as well but was able to speak.

"But it wasn't us! There was someone else in there! We ran into this character that looked exactly like Sora! He must have done it!" Roxas protested.

The trio looked at each other with some uncertainty. Roxas watched them. He knew that it was a very difficult story to believe, but that it was the truth. Sora meanwhile was still stunned and didn't say anything. Hayner noticed this.

"Sora?" He said inquisitively.

Sora looked up at him, with shock in his eyes. His lips quivered as he slowly found the words to speak.

"I need to see her." Sora stated firmly.

Pence and Olette looked at each other, and Hayner looked a tad deflated.

"That's not possible Sora." Hayner said regrettably.

Sora looked at Hayner with a fire in his eyes.

"Why not!?" he asked.

"Siefer and his gang are guarding all the entrances, and Donald and Goofy are inside and not letting anybody in; save other patients and staff. If they didn't let us in, why would they let you in, especially when you are the one that everyone believes to be responsible for her being in there in the first place." Hayner said.

Sora looked devastated; here he was public enemy #1 and the one person that could help him the most was in intensive care. A tear formed in Sora's eye, which shocked the trio. They looked at each other and all seemed to come to the same conclusion. Hayner nodded to Pence who went to the wall to get some of his tools. Pence had become quite the inventor in the last two years. He turned away from the wall wearing a wielder's mask and holding a blow torch. He motioned for Sora to come over. He placed another mask on Sora, and quickly cut through the chains. He tried to break through the large bracelets on his wrists, but to no avail. Still, at least Sora now could use his arms and legs. Hayner walked up and put his arm on Sora.

"You can stay here as long as you need, and we can hide you from everyone." Hayner said.

Sora shook his head.

"No, I need to get to the bottom of this. There is someone out there that hurt Kairi and is dragging my name through the mud. I need to go out and find him; even if I have to do it without the Keyblade. Maleficent is also out there, and I have no doubt that she is someone connected as well." He stated.

Roxas nodded.

"We also need to clear your name as well!"

Sora nodded in agreement.

Sora's friend looked at him with admiration. Hayner was the first to speak up.

"Well, you will need a gummi ship to get from place to place." Hayner stated.

Sora looked deflated again.

"Yeah…about that…" Sora started, scratching his head. Hayner laughed.

"Lemme guess…no munny right? Hayner asked, smirking.

"Yeah…" Sora responded sheepishly.

The three of them grinned at Sora, and presented him with a bag of munny.

"Here you go!" Olette grinned.

Sora took the bag of munny and nodded towards friends.

"Thanks guys…I'll repay you somehow." Sora said.

"Don't worry about it." Hayner stated.

Sora nodded towards his friends.

"Come on let's go to the Gummi Shop, it will close here shortly!" Pence exclaimed.

On that note, they all raced off to the shop.

Riku had just finished eliminating the last heartless and made his way back to the ship. When he saw that Sora had escaped, his rage boiled over. He smashed his fist into a wall, putting a huge dent in the wall that was specially designed with withstand pressure. He quickly raced over to the ship's control panel and tuned on the tracking system that was installed into Sora's bracelets. A red dot that represented Sora appeared over an area in Twilight Town, and Riku saw that it was moving. Riku fired up the ship's engines and headed for Twilight Town.

"Thanks a lot!" Pence said as he left the shop.

He walked over to the rest of the group.

"Okay Sora, you have that one over in the corner. Sora looked at the gummi ship; it was blue and silver, with dual lasers on both wings. Sora looked at his friends.

"Thanks a lot guys. I hope I'm not getting you guys into trouble though." He said with some concern.

Hayner waved that statement off.

"You worry about what you have to do Sora." He stated.

"Yeah go get the bad guys Sora!" Pence cheered.

"We're behind you one hundred percent Sora!" Olette exclaimed.

Sora smiled at his friends.

"So where are you gonna go first?" Pence inquired.

Roxas looked at Sora. Sora looked back at him.

"I don't know, whatever world we can spot first. I need to clear my name and get the Keyblade back." Sora said.

His eyes darkened.

"I also will personally make sure that whoever hurt Kairi is going to pay dearly for that." He stated with the rage obviously inside of him.

"AS AM I TRAITOR!" A voice called out.

They all turned to see Riku walking menacingly towards them. Sora tried to call out to him.

"Riku stop you're making a mistake!"

Riku didn't bat an eye.

"The only mistake I ever made was trusting you! He growled back.

"You and the rest of those traitors are going to be punished for your actions!" he declared.

Hayner and Pence stood in front of Sora and Roxas. Hayner looked back at them.

"YOU GUYS HAVE TO GO RIGHT NOW!" Hayner screamed.

Sora, looked hesitant about leaving his friends, but ran towards the ship. Riku lunged for him, but Hayner knocked him back with a hard shoulder block. Riku quickly was back up, but Hayner got him down again. Riku's eyes grew with rage, and he was able to kick Hayner off of him, and send him backwards, knocking over Pence. Riku looked up and saw Sora's ship taking off. He raced towards the ship with his Keyblade drawn, but he couldn't make it in time. Riku screamed in rage as he saw Sora's ship take off.

"I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE TRAITOR!!!"

He quickly turned to see Olette helping both Hayner and Pence up. He quickly punched Hayner out, and then kicked Pence back down. Olette tried to attack him, but Riku flung her to the ground. He scoffed at them, and walked back towards his ship.

"I'll deal with you three later." He stated.

Riku got in his ship and turned on the tracking device. He found Sora on the map and launched off.

Sora and Roxas were flying in the gummi ship, searching for any world that seemed familiar to them. Sora didn't say anything, and Roxas had a feeling that he knew what was wrong.

"Look Sora…I know you didn't like doing that, but we had to get out of there. Without the Keyblade you couldn't hope to beat him." Roxas stated.

"Roxas, I'm well aware of that, but I don't like leaving my friends behind."

Sora shook his head.

"Some hero I am. Kairi is hurt, and now Hayner, Pence, and Olette are too." Sora moaned.

"It wasn't your fault Sora!" Roxas said.

Sora didn't say anything. Roxas was about to say something, but gave up on the situation. He let out a long sigh and glanced out the window. A familiar sight caught his eye.

"Look Sora, its Beast's Castle!" Roxas said pointed to the slowly emerging world on the ship's right.

Sora looked down at the ship's control panel to see the world that Belle and the Beast lived in. Roxas looked at him.

"Well? Is that our first stop?" Roxas asked.

"Yes it is." Sora said bluntly.

Sora turned the ships controls, and set its course for Beast's Castle.

"After all…" Sora began.

"We need somewhere to hide away from Riku, right?"

**End of Chapter 6**

_Chapter 7 will hopefully be up by the end of the week. Until then, have a good week!_


	7. The Chase Continues

Again I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney, although if I did I would be living it up! Here's Chapter 7 enjoy!

**Chapter 7: The Chase Continues **

Donald was pacing nervously in the hospital's waiting room, while Goofy was sitting in a chair, resting his chin on his hand with his eyes closed. Naminé was entertaining some of the children that were in the waiting room, and was able to relax for a little bit, although she kept a watchful eye on the door. As the seconds on the clock ticked by Donald grew more and more anxious. Finally it was too much for him to bear and he snapped.

"WAK! WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG!!" He screamed.

Naminé was startled a bit, but quickly went back to reading a story to the children. Goofy's eyes shot open and moved his arm. His chin dropped and smacked down on the arm of the chair. He rubbed his chin, and looked over at Donald.

"Gawsh Donald, the doctors are doing the best they can!" He stated.

Donald looked over at Goofy and sighed.

"I know Goofy, it's just that we been here for hours!" Donald said.

Just as Donald said those words, Dr. Rogers emerged from the double doors that led into the emergency room. Donald quickly bounded up to Dr. Rogers. Naminé also excused herself and floated over to Dr. Rogers. Goofy was a bit slower to get up, but he was anxious to hear what Dr. Rogers had to say. Dr. Rogers looked at the three, and forced a small smile. Donald glared at him.

"Just give it to us straight Doc!" He said firmly.

"Well I have good news. Kairi's breathing has stabilized, and she is able to breathe on her own now." He said.

Donald's face lit up.

"ALRIGHT! SHE'S OK!!!" He said dancing around the waiting room.

Naminé also started clapping excitedly, and Donald was making his way across the room celebrating with whoever happened to be in the vicinity. Dr. Rogers looked rather uneasy, which was picked up eventually by Goofy.

"Uh… you have something else you want to tell us don't you?" Goofy asked with a concerned look.

Donald stopped dancing with the receptionist and looked at Dr. Rogers, with all the previous enthusiasm wiped from his face. Naminé looked closely at Dr. Rogers. The doctor cleared his throat.

"The main problem is still her heart, it's very weak, and it seems to be slowing down by the hour. We had to hook her up to a machine that helps her heart pump blood, but its not making nearly as much progress as it should be." He informed the deflated trio.

He cleared his throat, and glanced down. His face got incredibly serious.

"This is very tough for me to say, but if things keep going the way they are now…Kairi is going to die."

Donald and Goofy looked dumbstruck. Tears filled Naminé's eyes and she quickly left the room. Dr. Rogers's pager went off, and he looked at it. He turned back to the duo.

"I have to get back to a patient, but I will keep you updated." He said, running off.

Donald watched him run off, and promptly fell to his knees. Goofy merely stared off into space, and then went to inform King Mickey of the devastating news, and then try to calm Naminé down. Donald simply stared off into space.

"Oh Sora…how could you?" Donald wailed.

Sora and Roxas were busy trekking through the vast forestry that surrounded the Beast's castle. The sun was slowly setting as they made their way up to the bridge that Sora remembered fighting Xaldin on. He looked up expecting to see the dreary castle; but something was different.

"Sora…didn't you say that the last time that you were here, this place was dark and gloomy?" Roxas said.

"It…was…" Sora said, with his eyes shocked at the site that lay before them.

Gone was the dreary old castle that Sora had known. In front of them lay a beautiful castle, as white as the winter's snow. The towers of the castle seemed to glow in the setting sun. The area around the castle, which had once been over grown with dead trees and weed infested areas, were now perfectly tended lawns and gardens, with trees that were as green and vibrant as any others that he had seen before. To say that he was stunned would be putting it mildly. Sora's mouth was agape in awe as he walked up the marble steps to the large oak doors that led inside the castle. He banged on the castle doors several times, until they opened. A rather short, stout man with auburn hair answered the door, and recognized Sora immediately.

"Oh! Sora! …uh, sorry can't let you in!" The wiry fellow stated in an English accent.

The man then turned and shut the door in Sora's face. Sora was taken aback by this, and rather offended. He banged on the door, only to hear a muffled "Go Away!" answer his knocks. He then heard another voice begin to argue with the one that had so rudely slammed the door in his face. He looked at Roxas who merely shrugged as well. Suddenly the door opened and a man quickly ushered Sora into the grand hall. The door slammed before Roxas could enter though. Roxas sighed and then walked through the door and floated over towards Sora and the mysterious man. The man was talking rather excitedly, but Sora didn't have any idea who he was. He had a long, thin face, and light brown hair that was done up in a ponytail. His voice had a French accent to it as well. Finally Sora broke away from his grip.

"I'm really sorry…but…who are you?" Sora asked.

The man looked at him dumbfounded. He pondered the statement, and then seemingly solved the dilemma.

"Zat's right monsieur! You don't know what happened to us! It is I, Lumiere!" The man stated.

Sora was shocked. He looked over at the wiry man to the right of Lumiere, and took a good long look at him.

"Cogsworth?" Sora asked.

The man sighed.

"Yes…it is I." He said.

"What's the big idea slamming the door in my face!?" Sora replied angrily.

Lumiere looked at Cogsworth with a stern expression.

"What kind of hospitality do you show our guests?" He asked angrily.

"You know our orders! The master said not to let Sora into the castle! He will be furious when he finds out that you have disobeyed him!" Cogsworth snapped back.

Sora sighed.

"Wonderful, so now Beast thinks I'm a traitor too." Sora said glumly.

"Yes, Prince Adam was very specific that you were not to be allowed admittance to the castle." Cogsworth informed him.

"Prince Adam?" Sora asked.

Lumiere turned and smiled at Sora.

"Zat's right! Zee curse, she is no more! We have all been restored!" He exclaimed.

"That's great!" Sora replied.

Lumiere nodded and Cogsworth looked nervously towards the stairwell. He started pushing Sora back.

"Yes Yes, we are all fine here, but you need to leave right away!" He said.

"Hey quite shoving!" Sora said trying to fight back.

"What are you doing Cogsworth? Show some respect to our rescuer!" Lumiere added.

"The master's orders must be obeyed!" Cogsworth insisted.

While the three were bickering, they failed to notice a woman make her way to the top of the staircase. She gazed up the bickering trio.

"Cogsworth? Lumiere? What's going on?" She called out.

The two men froze in their tracks. They turned and slowly backed away from Sora. Sora looked up and saw a beautiful woman with long brown hair. She was wearing a white summer dress that was adorned with pink and red flowers. She walked down the staircase and squinted to see who the brown-haired person was. Suddenly she recognized him.

"Sora!" She exclaimed.

"Hey Belle!" Sora called out.

Belle raced to Sora and wrapped him in a big hug. She then pulled apart and looked down at Sora's handcuffs. She looked back up at him with fear in his eyes.

"Sora! It's not true is it?" She asked fearfully.

"Belle I'm innocent! I have no idea what happened! You have to believe me!" Sora pleaded.

Belle looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"I believe you…but it's not safe for you to be out in the open! If Prince Adam finds out that you are here…" Belle stated before Cogsworth cut her off.

"Master!" He stated.

Bell froze in her tracks. She turned slowly around to see the figure making his way down the staircase. Sora looked at the man. He had a long, smooth, face, with long brown hair. He was dressed rather well, opting for a buttoned up shirt with pressed khaki pants. He stared at Belle, but hadn't seen Sora quite yet.

"What is all the commotion?" He asked, as he walked down the staircase.

He stopped, and looked closer, and his carefree expression completely vanished once he saw Sora standing behind Belle.

"What are you doing here!?" Prince Adam demanded to know.

"Uh…just stopping in to see if everything was okay?" Sora replied uncertain.

Adam glared at him.

"Everything is fine…now GET OUT!" Adam roared.

Lumiere and Cogsworth shuddered. While Prince Adam was no longer a Beast on the inside, he could still get nasty if he needed too. Belle stood firm however.

"Adam! Is this anyway to treat a friend?" Belle said, placing her hands on her hips.

"We aren't friends with traitors!" Adam responded sharply.

The two began to bicker back and forth. Sora slowly slipped behind Lumiere and Cogsworth. They watched the two argue back and forth, with Belle seemingly holding her own.

"They do this often?" Roxas asked.

"Not as much as they used to, the master has gotten a lot better over the past two years." Cogsworth stated.

"So who usually wins these?" Sora asked.

"Belle." They both said in unison.

Sora looked back at the bickering couple, and it did seem like Belle was doing most of the arguing, and Adam was seemingly giving in.

"ENOUGH!" Adam finally stated.

He looked at Belle, and then over in Sora's direction. Sora walked up to him. Adam held out his hand, and Sora stopped.

"Due to the fact that you saved Belle on two separate occasions, and myself on one; I will allow you to stay the night, provided that you are gone by breakfast tomorrow!" He stated firmly.

Sora nodded. Prince Adam turned to several of the guards that had appeared at the foot of the staircase, due to the arguments. Prince Adam turned to several of the guards.

"I want you two stationed outside the west wing guest room." He told them.

The guards nodded and ran off to perform their duty. Prince Adam turned back to Sora.

"If you try anything while you are here, I will personally see to it that you are punished to the full extent of the law!" He stated, then turned and walked off.

Belle looked at Sora who met her gaze, and she gave an apologetic smile. He smiled back, but she could see the hurt that Sora was feeling from being treated like a common criminal by his friends. Cogsworth gently pushed Sora towards the west wing. Lumiere quietly walked away to attend to other matters. Belle watched Sora leave as Roxas began to walk past her.

"How is he doing?" She asked.

Roxas turned to look at Belle. He sighed.

"About as well as someone who just found out that he is now the most wanted man since Xemnas could be doing I suppose." He said

"I can imagine it's not the greatest feeling." Belle responded

"No, he's got all his friends out looking for him, including his best friend, who so far has beaten the crap outta him, and is hunting him down." Roxas said.

"How did he handle the news about Kairi.?" Belle asked.

"Well…he was in shock, but I don't think that the situation has fully sunken in, but he definitely is blaming himself for it." Roxas replied.

"I can't believe that this has happened and all that you've went through so far…where do you plan on going next?" Belle asked.

Roxas shrugged.

"I guess right now we are just trying to avoid Riku, hopefully we can make some progress with the whole proving Sora's innocence thing tomorrow." Roxas stated.

Roxas yawned and looked at Belle.

"I think I better get to bed…" Roxas said.

Belle smiled and nodded. Roxas drifted upstairs to their room. Belle watched him leave and then shook her head.

"Poor Sora…"

Later that night, Belle was tossing and turning around in her bed. She had tried numerous times to fall asleep but could never do it for more than an hour before she woke up.

"Adam…I can't sleep…" She whined.

There was no response. Belle turned over, but didn't see her prince next to her. She looked around the room, but didn't see him anywhere, although she did see that the door was cracked, and upon listening closer, heard faint voices coming from the hallway. She quickly slipped on a white bathrobe, and snuck out for a closer peek. She quietly snuck down the long hallway and crept halfway down the staircase that led into the main hall. She peered out over the banister. There she saw Prince Adam along with Cogsworth, both dressed in robes. She looked closely and saw that they were talking to a third figure, but Prince Adam was in the way. He eventually moved long enough so that Belle could see the figure's face. She froze with fear as she recognized him.

"Riku!" She whispered.

She leaned in closer to hear what they were talking about.

"I fully understand your reasons for being here Riku, however I will not have you attacking my guards and breaking into my castle!" Adam said sternly.

Riku's face remained emotionless.

"I am here on behalf of the crown of Disney, to pursue and capture a fugitive from justice named Sora Hakiri." Riku stated.

"I understand and I intend to fully cooperate with Sora's arrest, but Sora is here as my guest, at least until tomorrow morning. I will not have you waking up my wife or servants with you chasing Sora around the house. I ask that you wait until the morning, and I will have Sora brought out to you." Adam stated.

Riku didn't seem too pleased with this, but nodded his head. Belle was shocked at her husband.

"I have to tell Sora!" She said as she quickly raced back into the east wing. She walked down the long corridor and quickly touched a smooth brick next to one of the knight statues that lined the corridor's walls. The knight statue moved out of the way, revealing a secret tunnel. Belle quickly ducked in and raced through the tunnel, emerging on the other side, in the west wing of the castle. She quickly ran up to Sora's rooms where the two guards stood watch. They watched Belle approach them.

"Whatever she says, we can't move. Prince Adam was specific that no one should be allowed admittance!" One guard told the other.

The other one nodded and they stood firm as Belle approached. She stopped in front of them, and stared at them. They didn't move. She rolled her eyes.

"Move out of the way!" She screamed at them.

The guards were so startled by Belle's snap, that they quickly scattered. Belle smirked a bit to herself and walked into Sora's room. She spotted Sora laying on his bed staring up at the ceiling. He looked over and sat up when he saw her, a look of concern washed over his face.

"Belle! What's wrong?" Sora asked.

"Sora you need to go! Riku is here!" Belle cried.

Roxas jumped out of Sora and looked around the room.

"RIKU? WHERE!?" He yelled.

Sora shushed him, and looked back at Belle.

"I need to get to the gummi ship!" Sora said quickly.

Belle nodded and motioned for Sora to follow her. Sora quickly followed her out of the room and down the stairs. Roxas floated after them and quickly went back into Sora.

Prince Adam and Riku were in the library discussing the plans for arresting Sora when the two bumbling guards stumbled into the room. Prince Adam quickly stood up and glared at the new entrants to the room.

"Why are you not guarding Sora's room?" Prince Adam demanded to know.

The guards stared nervously back at their master. Riku stood up suspecting that something was wrong. Prince Adam grew impatient.

"ANSWER ME!" Prince Adam roared.

"B…Belle…told us…" One of the guards stammered out before Prince Adam roared.

"BELLE!"

Riku raced out of the room as Cogsworth came staggering in.

"Sir! Belle and Sora have just fled the castle!" He cried.

Prince Adam raced out of the room as well, and saw Riku exit the main entrance. He quickly followed him out. Sora and Belle had just crossed the bridge and entered the forest when they heard Riku yell Sora's name. Belle looked at Sora and hurried him along. They raced into a clearing, and came upon Sora's gummi ship. Sora quickly got on the ship and fired up the engines. Riku was fast approaching the ship, but had to stop when the ship's engines fired on, and he screamed in anger as he watched the ship take off. Riku then ran up and grabbed Belle hard by the shoulder and shoved her up against the tree. She yelped in pain and looked at him. His eyes seemed possessed as he yelled and cursed at her. He raised his hand as if to strike her. Suddenly a hand gripped firmly around Riku's free hand and flung him off of her. Riku slowly got to his feet, as the hand of Prince Adam wrapped tightly around his throat and pressed him up against a tree. Riku's face began to turn red as he struggled.

"You dare lay a hand on my wife!? I don't care what the law says…I want you out of here! NOW!" Prince Adam snarled at Riku, and then chucked him aside.

Riku staggered to his feet and drew his Keyblade. He looked at Adam, the rage burning in his eyes, but he eventually grunted, and retreated the blade. He then walked off in the direction of his gummi ship. Adam sighed, and then walked over to Belle who was rubbing her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently, reaching out to rub her shoulder; only to have Belle pull away from him.

"I'm fine!" She snapped back.

The prince sighed as he retracted his hand.

"Why did you help him escape? You could be placed under arrest for treason!" He stated.

Belle turned around, her eyes filling with tears.

"I don't care! I did what I felt was right! I don't believe that the same Sora that saved the worlds twice, and brought you and I closer together, is capable of such heinous actions; and I can't believe that you would willingly turn him in!" She cried back.

"I did what I thought was right Belle." Prince Adam said quietly.

He looked towards the ground. Belle began weeping, and Prince Adam was quick to wrap her up in a hug, and this time Belle didn't push away.

"Adam…I'm scared…I feel something horrible is going to happen, and the way things are going; Sora isn't going to be around to save us!" She wailed, burying her face into Prince Adam's shoulder.

Prince Adam pondered that statement for a little bit and then held Belle closer.

"I don't think there is anything to worry about, but if there is, I swear that I will let nothing happen to you." Adam declared.

Belle looked up at him, tears still welling in her eyes. She pulled in for a quick kiss on the lips, which Adam returned. She rested the side of her face on Adam's chest.

"I love you Adam."

"I love you too."

_Meanwhile:_

A hooded figure slowly approached the abandoned fortress that only hours ago had been privy to more excitement then it had seen in years. The figure moved swiftly and silently, and seemed to walk with a purpose. The figure made it inside, and quickly walked towards the computer room. The mysterious person found the computer still on, and several files still up. The figure sat down and glanced at the various pictures that were on the screen. The figure stopped when they saw a picture of a younger looking woman, with mid length dirty blonde hair and green eyes. The figure stared at the picture for a few moments and then looked at the heading. "Known Nobodies". The figure looked again at the picture of the woman, and then closed out the window. The figure noticed a small box up on the screen. The figure leaned in closer to read it.

FILE DOWNLOADING FINISHED

The figured turned and saw a disc sticking out of its disc drive. The figure grabbed it and quickly shut down the computer. The figure walked out of the room, and out of the fortress, all the way to a waiting gummi ship. The figure got inside and fired up the ship. The ship flew off, and the figure entered in a few coordinates and placed the ship on autopilot. The figure then fired up the ships computer and then slid the disc into the drive. A number of files shot up on the screen and the figure stared at them, as if it was pondering what to look at first. After a few minutes the figure selected a file and began reading.

End of Chapter 7 

Okay that's a wrap! Chapter 8 is looking like it will be up sometime this weekend and then 9 and 10 will be ready to go hopefully by the end of next weekend! If you guys need something to do while waiting for new chapters, I recommend seeing a movie. I recommend Ocean's 13. It was a solid flick. Later!


	8. Who can you Trust?

_First off I would just like to thank everyone for reading my story. Before putting up chapter 7 I had only 90 hits to my story. 24 hours later I was up to 207, so thank you to everyone! Now if I could get some reviews…lol I'm just playing…but seriously if you review I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you to those who already gave me reviews: Shire Fox, Hallow Tasan, Knux33, Ellie0223, Mrfipp. You guys rule! Here's chapter 8! Enjoy!_

**Chapter 8: Who can you Trust?**

"Quick Roxas! What's on the map?!" Sora said urgently, while trying to get the ship to go faster.

Roxas scanned the map on the computer in front of him, and located the world that seemed to be closest to them.

"Here's one! Neverland!" Roxas yelled out.

Sora jammed a few buttons, and entered in a few coordinates into the ship's navigation system, and then slowly got up from his seat.

"There…we set a course for Neverland, heading at top speed…we should arrive in an hour." Sora said, seemingly a little weary.

Roxas noticed this.

"Maybe you should lie down for a bit, you know; regain your strength and all that." Roxas said gently.

Sora waved him off.

"I'm good I need to keep watch, but you can go ahead if you want to." Sora responded.

Roxas yawned a bit, and started to head back inside Sora.

"Night Sora." He muttered.

"Night Roxas." Sora said.

Sora went back over to the control center and sat down. He looked out the window and sighed as he sunk into his chair.

"This is all my fault…" Sora said, burying his head into his hands.

"I should have been there to help her…" Sora said, with tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Kairi…I'm so sorry…"

_Meanwhile:_

A nurse was making her nightly rounds and stopped in to check on Kairi. She gazed at the various monitors which really hadn't changed much in the last few times that she checked her room. This time however, one monitor was showing something different: her heart monitor. The nurse watched with amazement as her heart rate started to fluctuate wildly, jumping from 30 to 55. The nurse quickly hit the call button, and watched as the heart rate continued to go up. The nurse saw something moving out of the corner of her eye and noticed Kairi's hand beginning to twitch. The nurse's jaw dropped as she saw the heart rate rise to 65, and watched Kairi's eyes slowly begin to open. Kairi's lip began to quiver and then spread and Kairi forced out a word that the nurse had never heard before.

"……So……ra……"

Then as quickly as it happened, it was over. Kairi's eyes closed and her hand stopped moving. The nurse watched the heartbeat drop all the way back to 35. The night doctor rushed in to find the nurse looking like she had seen a ghost. The nurse was able to tell him what had happened, which completely baffled the doctor.

_Back on the ship:_

Sora had pushed the unpleasantness of Kairi out of his mind for the time being; and was now thinking about all that had happened. He was trying to piece together the gigantic puzzle. His thought process was interrupted though, by the sound of someone trying to contact his ship. Sora hesitated, fearing it to be Riku, but slowly pushed a button and forced out an uncertain "Hello?"

"…SORA…bzzt…is that you?…" came a rather boyish sounding voice.

"Yes, who is this?" Sora asked.

"Jeez! You can't remember the boy who saved your life?" came the reply.

Sora thought about it for a second. The voice on the other end seemed to grow impatient.

"COME ON! It's me Peter Pan!" Peter groaned.

"Peter?? How are you able to talk to me?" Sora asked.

"This communications satellite that King put on our world, it allows us to see vessels approaching our world and contact them, to find out if they are friend or foe ya know?" Peter responded.

"Ah, I see…" Sora responded.

"Just to let you know, I don't buy those rumors of you attacking Kairi either! I know you and you wouldn't do something like that!" Peter said.

Sora said nothing in response.

"Anyways, this thing says that you should arrive in 15 minutes, so I'll come meet you with the Lost Boys!" Peter said cheerfully and ended the transmission.

Sora leaned back in his chair and prepared for the landing. Roxas popped out and let out a big yawn.

"Are we there yet?" He asked sleepily.

"Bout 15 minutes." Sora replied.

"Cool."

They set down in a lush tropical area, and spotted the crowd of Lost Boys and Peter Pan eagerly waiting for them about 60 yards away. Sora was surprised as he only remembered six lost boys the last time he saw them, but now there were fourteen! Sora got up and approached the ship doors. The Lost Boys all began hooting and hollering and ran up to the ship once they saw the ramp come down. Sora walked down the ramp, and made his way to the ground. The Lost Boys suddenly stopped when they saw Sora. Sora watched as the smiles vanished from their faces, and the Lost Boys started to whisper to each other. Sora looked at Peter who merely stared back at Sora. Sora walked up to them with an uneasy smile.

"Hey Peter…long time no see!" Sora called out with a hint of nervousness.

Peter just stared back at Sora with his mouth agape. Finally Peter spoke up.

"Sora…you…grew up…" He stated finally.

"Well…it was almost 4 years ago since you last saw me…" Sora responded.

Peter looked past Sora to see Roxas floating down the ramp. Peter's eyes grew wide. One of the Lost Boys looked at Roxas too and became terrified.

"A ghost!" He cried out.

The rest of the Lost Boys began to run around like chickens with their heads cut off. Peter quickly drew his dagger, but Sora was quick to calm the situation.

"NO! NO! It's okay! He's with me!" Sora said quickly.

Peter sheathed his dagger, and called the Lost Boys over for a conference. Sora watched them confer for a few minutes; while wondering if maybe it would be a good idea if he just went back onto the ship. Suddenly they broke from their conference, and Peter approached Sora. Peter stared long and hard at Sora's face before finally breaking out into a wide grin.

"Sora it's great to see you!" He said.

Sora looked a little befuddled. Peter saw this and laughed.

"Sorry about that, we were all just a little shocked to see you so grown up!" Peter explained.

"What about the conference you just had?" Sora asked.

Peter just waved off the question.

"Just making sure it was really you." Peter explained.

Roxas peered out from behind Sora and some of the Lost Boys seemed startled still by him. Peter glared at them.

"Knock it off you blockheads!" He snapped.

He then turned to Roxas.

"Hi! I'm Peter Pan and any friend of Sora's is a friend of mine!" Peter said, smiling at Roxas.

"Cool! I'm Roxas!" Roxas said enthusiastically.

Peter then turned back to Sora.

"Let me introduce you to the Lost Boys!" Peter exclaimed.

"Line up!" Peter called out.

The Lost Boys lined up in single file, and Peter introduced them.

"You remember Tootles, Slightly, Curly, Nibs, Twin 1, and Twin 2; well here are the newbies: Rufio, Thud Butt, Pockets, Ace, Don't Ask, Too Small, Latchboy, and No Nap!" Peter said.

Sora nodded at the Lost Boys; and Peter clapped his hands. The Lost Boys started walking away. Peter turned to Sora.

"Come on! We were just about to eat!" Peter said motioning for them to follow him.

Sora and Roxas looked at each other. They shrugged and followed Peter. They walked until they came into a clearing. Sora saw a small group of huts and a few tree houses, and in the middle of it all was a large fire. Peter motioned for him to take a seat, and Sora complied. One of the Lost Boys brought out a roast pig. Sora watched the other Lost Boys converge on the pig with cat like quickness, and when they parted it was all but gone. Sora didn't seem to mind much, as he really didn't feel like eating. He looked up to Peter, who gave him a sympathetic look, obviously understanding what he was going through. Some of the Lost Boys shared that look with Peter, but there were some who were glaring at Sora. Sora seemed a little taken back by these stares. One of them took a big bite of the pig's leg, wolfed it down, and then glared hard at Sora.

"Our food not good enough for ya?!" He asked menacingly.

Peter shot a glare at the boy, who looked fearful and stared at the ground. However another boy stood up.

"No! What's wrong with the food Pirate!?" He demanded to know.

"Shut up Rufio!" Peter snapped back at him.

Rufio glared back at Peter.

"NO! I want to know why this Pirate won't eat our food!" Rufio shot back.

The Lost Boys were stunned; no one had ever challenged Peter before. Several of the other Lost Boys that were glaring at Sora earlier; stood up alongside Rufio in defiance of Peter. The rest of the Lost Boys were quick to side with Peter. Sora found himself caught in between the two factions.

"You should know your place Rufio!" A rather chubby boy said sternly.

"Shut up fatty!" the boy called Don't Ask yelled.

"That's Thud Butt to you; Don't Ask!" The rotund boy countered.

"Peter taught us never to trust adults, and here we are feeding one of em!" Latchboy exclaimed.

"Peter's a great leader and if he says it's okay then he is right!" another boy stated.

"Aw shut it Tootles, ya big brown noser!" Rufio fired back.

"Alright enough of this!" Peter screamed out, drawing his dagger.

"If any of you punks have a problem with my leadership then step up and have a go!" He stated.

None of the renegade boys seemed ready to challenge Peter, opting merely to glare at him and sit back down. Peter sheathed his dagger.

"Sora stays!" He said abruptly.

"No! He's mine!" came a voice from the jungle.

Sora didn't even need to look to see who it was. Riku emerged from the jungle, looking almost possessed. His face had become dark and sinister and his eyes seemed to form dark slits. Sora could definitely tell that something was wrong.

"Sora is coming with me!" Riku stated again.

"Hey, you're that creep that captured Wendy!" Peter shouted.

Riku ignored Peter's cry, and took steps towards Sora, only to be cut off by Peter. Riku lunged at Peter who quickly darted out of the way. Riku may have been the better swordsman, but there was no way that he could match Peter's agility, and once Peter got off the ground and airborne, it became almost a no contest. Peter would dive bomb Riku forcing Riku to back off. Eventually some of the Lost Boys started attacking as well; throwing various objects at Riku, who was having a difficult time dodging all that was coming at him. Eventually he was hit with a coconut in the back of the head, and Peter took advantage and slashed him across the arm. Riku quickly recalled his blade, and realizing that he was outnumbered, fled the scene. He turned back and looked at Sora.

"I will be back for you!" He snarled.

Sora shuddered and seemed fearful of the thought, and Roxas noticed this. Roxas was shocked; he had seen Sora go toe to toe with some of the most vicious heartless and all of Organization XIII; and never once did he detect fear in Sora's body; at least to this extent.

"This is bad…" Roxas thought to himself.

Roxas was puzzled; not really knowing what to do in this situation, but decided to ponder it for a while. Peter was hooting and hollering and the Lost Boys were celebrating, all while Sora sat motionless, fearful of what Riku said. Peter looked over and noticed that roughly half of his boys were missing. Rufio, Don't Ask, Latchboy, Ace, Too Small, and No Nap were nowhere to be found. Peter shrugged.

"Probably just went to cool off, they'll be back later." He thought to himself.

He looked over at Sora who was sitting down, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Why the long face?" He asked with a grin.

Sora looked up at him, with a sullen expression, and stood up. He tried to force a smile but he couldn't muster it.

"Sorry Peter, I'm just a little tired." Sora lied.

Peter nodded.

"Well follow me, and I'll show you where you are sleeping." Peter said floating off.

Sora trudged after him, and Roxas did as well; still pondering what to do with Sora.

"I gotta think of something quick, or we are all screwed." He thought to himself.

Riku had found a clearing, and was in the process of building a fire. He was thinking of a way to get at Sora; when suddenly he heard some rustling in the bushes. He drew his Keyblade, and watched as the Lost Boys, that he saw arguing with Peter, stumble into the clearing. Riku eyed them with small curiosity. He then recalled his Keyblade and went back to pondering. Rufio puffed himself up and approached him, with a determined look in his eye. Riku didn't even look at him. Once Rufio had gotten within 3 feet of him, Riku thrust his arm out, Keyblade at the ready, with the tip of the blade inches from the Rufio's neck. He looked at him with an intense stare.

"One step closer and I will end you." Riku snarled.

The boy trembled, but still tried to look tough. Riku eyed him closely. He called back his blade and went back to tending the fire.

"State your business, or get out of my sight." He said coldly.

The boy breathed a sigh of relief and then tried to build himself up again.

"My name is Rufio!" He said trying to sound intimidating.

"I didn't ask for your damn name I asked what business you had here." Riku responded.

"You want Sora, and we want him out of our camp!" Rufio stated.

Riku didn't move, or even acknowledge this statement. Rufio was undeterred and continued.

"Peter has been making some very questionable calls as of late, letting that adult put up a communications satellite, and now letting Sora stay in our village. We want to make a change in leadership! Now…you're an adult like Sora, but seeing as you want only to take him with you, we are willing to make a deal with you, provided you leave as soon as you get Sora." Rufio said.

Riku looked at him, and Rufio backed up a bit; but Riku went back to tending the fire. Rufio continued.

"We will help you capture Sora, if you can help us remove Pan from power!" Rufio stated.

"I suppose you have a plan then?" Riku asked Rufio.

Rufio nodded. Riku continued to tend his fire. He stood up and turned to face Rufio, which caused all of the Lost Boys to recoil in fear. A devilish smile formed over Riku's face.

"Well then; let's hear it!" He said in a sadistic voice.

Rufio gulped and shuddered.

_Meanwhile:_

King Mickey looked around his surroundings. His cell was dank and dreary, with a bucket of water that had flies swarming around it. The cell had lasers all around it which served to keep Mickey inside, and a steel door. Outside there was a Large Body keeping watch on the cell, with a ring of keys on its side. He glanced down at the shackles that bound his arms together.

"I need to get out of here!" He thought to himself.

Suddenly Mickey heard a door open and footsteps. He watched as a group of figures make there way over to his cell. He recognized the first person immediately.

"Maleficent!" Mickey cried out at the evil sorceress.

Maleficent laughed and fake bowed to the imprisoned King. Mickey also recognized his longtime nemesis Pete, who laughed upon making eye contact with King Mickey. Mickey looked over at the other entrant, but didn't recognize him. The man smiled and also bowed.

"My deepest apologies _your majesty_. My name is Ankoku." He sneered.

Mickey turned to the hooded figure, who said nothing. Maleficent cut in.

"So sorry King Mickey, but this one doesn't speak much." She said.

"Well, it seems that our party is all here…" Ankoku said, before smacking his head as if he forgot something important.

"That's right! We almost forgot the most important player in all of this!" Ankoku said with an evil gleam in his eye.

The door opened and another figure walked in the room. King Mickey saw him and his eyes narrowed. The figure wore a hood and stopped right in front of the cage that contained the King. Mickey could see a bright, white, grin. King Mickey gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The rest of the party laughed at Mickey's face. The figure pulled down his hood and brushed some of his spiky brown hair out of his eyes. Mickey identified the new entrant right away.

"Sora…" He growled in a low voice.

Sora said nothing, merely choosing to keep grinning as the rest of his group shared an evil laugh.

**End of Chapter 8**

_I'm trying to create a bridge here with this chapter from Peter Pan to Hook, and I am combining elements from not only the Disney version and Hook, but the actual novel as well. Gotta love Wikipedia! Also, some big things are going to be revealed in chapter 9 so be sure to watch out for it next week! Later guys and girls!!_


	9. Revelations

_Before I start I would like to make a correction. During the review portion I incorrectly identified one of the people as Shire Fox, when in actuality his name is Shire Folk. Sorry!_

_Okay, this is Chapter 9, and I am really interested to see the feedback from this chapter, figuring I'm either getting flamed or not, so I will be interested to see. So far this story has received nothing but positive reviews, so I'm hoping to keep it that way._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 9: Revelations **

"How could you betray us Sora?!" Mickey screamed.

Sora said nothing, just merely continued his grinning ways. Maleficent and Ankoku were snickering the entire time, and Pete was laughing his head off. The other figure didn't even move, but Mickey didn't notice any of this, as his eyes were fixated on Sora. Mickey was growing impatient, and sick of the grin on Sora's face.

"ANSWER ME!!!" Mickey roared, which was very uncharacteristic of him.

This caused Ankoku and Maleficent to break out into a full on laughter. Mickey seemed to get even madder at these events. Finally Ankoku cleared his throat, which caused the other two to slowly stop laughing, although it took a smack from Maleficent to finally shut Pete up.

"Okay, I think that Sora here has outlived his usefulness!" Ankoku exclaimed and snapped his fingers.

Just like that, Sora vanished in a puff of smoke! Mickey looked dumbfounded, and the trio went right back to laughing. Mickey was able to shake off the shock and form cognitive sentences again.

"What's going on?" Mickey demanded to know.

Ankoku was able to contain his laughter first, and was able to respond.

"I guess I should start by telling you who I am." Ankoku said.

"I got that your name was Ankoku." Mickey fired back.

"Yes that was the name that I chose for myself all those years ago." He began.

"Thanks to some renegade scientists; I became this horrible abomination. However in the process of becoming what I am today, they also infused me with pure darkness; granting me powers beyond my wildest dreams! I can create anything and manipulate any form of darkness!" He exclaimed, his eyes flashing wildly.

"So…that Sora was…" Mickey said; slowly coming to the conclusion.

"Correct! A duplicate made from pure darkness! I can't tell you the numerous hours of hard work it took to get it just right! Fortunately, this old castle contained plenty of information on Sora to help it along; with the exception of Sora's voice…" Ankoku stated.

"Which explains why he couldn't talk…" Mickey said; forming his own conclusion.

"Exactly!" Ankoku said.

"I can't believe that I didn't trust him…" Mickey said sadly.

"Aw…don't feel too bad there Mickey! It was brilliant! Everyone was fooled! Well uh…except that one chick Sora is always with…" Pete said.

Maleficent shot him a glare, which caused Pete to cower. Ankoku merely shook his head. Mickey smirked at this.

"Kairi saw right through your clone didn't she?" He said with a small grin.

Ankoku waved it off.

"Yes she did, but that's hardly here nor there, especially in the condition that she is presently in." Ankoku said.

Mickey glared at him.

"So you created that Sora duplicate, in order to frame him…but why?" Mickey asked.

"Because we needed a distraction." Ankoku stated.

"And to get the Keyblade Master out of our way!" Maleficent added.

"The first part of the plan consisted of making the Sora duplicate. Once that was finished we needed to make sure he was spotted with us! That's where your spies came in!" Maleficent stated.

"So…the Sora that my spies saw was the duplicate Sora…which led my initial doubt…"Mickey stated.

"And everything else, just seemed to fall into place." Ankoku said.

"Thanks to our own spy here," Maleficent began, pointing to the hooded figure; "we were able to find out that Sora would go off on long excursions on his own for training, sometimes for days! So it was entirely plausible for Sora to be associating with us!" She finished.

"Then it was up to using my dark powers to affect Sora's mood." Ankoku began.

"Now, the problem arose once I discovered that Sora had no darkness in his heart, so I had to use alternate methods to get into his mind, which were eventually accomplished." Ankoku added.

"This new change in Sora, prompted the suspicion of those closest to him, but it was still very hard to convince the Princess and Riku." Maleficent stated.

"Not surprising." Mickey said.

"So that is where the mission came in!" Ankoku said.

Mickey's eyes grew wide with shock. Ankoku grinned.

"Yes, the information on that old computer was all but useless." Maleficent said.

"Thanks to Maleficent's wonderful heartless, we were able to supply that old abandoned fortress with enough heartless to catch your attention." Ankoku explained.

"The next step was releasing the Sora duplicate into the castle, with but one objective: taking out the princess of heart!" Maleficent sneered.

"You monster!" Mickey growled.

"I do apologize for your wounds King Mickey; you were not expected to confront the duplicate. But at least you weren't killed!" Maleficent smirked.

Mickey didn't find it amusing.

"So why just Kairi? Why not Riku?" Mickey asked.

"It's quite simple really…Kairi is a princess of heart; and therefore she can't be controlled by the darkness. However, Riku still has some darkness in him, thus he becomes useful." Maleficent began.

"Believe me, I wish she could be! How great would it be to see Kairi hunting down Sora?" Ankoku said with a sinister smile.

"But Riku doesn't belong in darkness anymore!" Mickey said.

"True! Riku has done much to dispel most of the darkness out of him; however there are still small amounts left." Ankoku pointed out.

"Namely me!" Maleficent said with a smile.

"As long as I exist, there will always be darkness in Riku; I guess you could say that I left my mark on the lad." She said with a smile.

"But…Riku banished his memories of you in Castle Oblivion!" Mickey stated.

Maleficent laughed at this.

"It will take far more than that to get fully rid of me!" She boasted.

Ankoku nodded.

"While there is not enough to fully turn Riku to the darkness, there is still enough darkness Riku's heart for me to manipulate his thoughts. I can skewer his thoughts, slowly twisting them and making him into a blood thirsty killer, whose lust can only be satisfied by ending the life of Sora. Of course once he's done that, then there will be no more need of him and with the Keyblade Master dead, Riku will be easy to take care of." Ankoku said.

Mickey seemed horrified.

"I must say, we anticipated this going a lot longer; but those shackles that Riku attached to Sora, preventing him from using the Keyblade, are going make things much quicker. I tell you those shackles are genius! I liked them so much that I insisted that you were to be given your own pair!" Ankoku grinned.

Mickey looked at his shackles and remained quiet.

"Of course the mission had ulterior motives than just dealing with those three." Maleficent smiled.

"With you taking both of your lackeys along with you on this mission, it left Disney Castle wide open for us to take!" She said gleefully.

"But…the Cornerstone…" Mickey started.

Ankoku laughed and dug in his pocket. He pulled out a black, smooth, stone shaped like an oval. The stone was mounted on a silver base, which curled around the stone forming two overlapping ends. Mickey's eyes grew wide with horror as he gazed upon the object.

"The amulet…how did you get it?" Mickey said, stunned.

"It took months but we were finally able to track it down. I trust by your reaction that you know what this does too." Ankoku stated.

Mickey nodded.

"It neutralizes the Cornerstone of Light." Mickey said.

"Yes, that is correct; but it has another important use, as it serves as a key of sorts…" Ankoku said with a slow smile.

Mickey's eyes grew wide with fear.

"You can't be serious!" He cried.

Ankoku and Maleficent laughed.

"One way or another your majesty…this world will be covered in darkness…and I will reign as the Queen of all Darkness!!" Maleficent exclaimed.

"You don't need to do this! Have some compassion!" Mickey cried out.

"Oh you mean like when the worlds showed the same compassion to me when they turned me into this?" Ankoku said with his eyes growing distant.

He drew closer to the cage.

"Mark my words King Mickey…I won't rest until every other living being feels the pain that I have had to endure!" He said coldly.

He then stood up and placed the amulet back in his pocket. Maleficent glanced over at Pete.

"Load the remaining prisoners in the gummi ship and prepare to head back to Disney Castle." Maleficent instructed.

Pete nodded, and they all began to walk off. Ankoku stopped and slapped his head again.

"I almost forgot! I had a little gift for you!" He exclaimed.

"Bring her in!" He called down the hall.

Mickey heard the door open and saw two Soldier heartless bring in an unconscious figure. Mickey's eyes grew wide as he saw who it was.

"MINNIE!" Mickey cried out.

Maleficent held out her staff, and the bars disappeared. The heartless chucked Minnie inside and Maleficent closed the cell back up. Mickey raced over to his wife, only to find that she wasn't moving, and her clothes were ripped. He checked for a pulse, and was relieved to find one. He glared at the foursome.

"You fiends!!" He screamed.

Ankoku grabbed his heart and feigned that he was hurt.

"I give you this gift and you scream at me? I'm hurt!" He said, before breaking out into laughter.

"Well your majesty, it's been fun; but we have some matters to attend to!" Ankoku said.

They walked out of the room, but Pete stayed behind. He stuck his tongue out at the captive King, while doing a little dance.

"PETE!!!" Maleficent roared.

Pete's ears drooped as he quickly ran off to join Maleficent. Mickey watched them leave, and then turned back to tend to his wife. He cradled her in his arms, and stared off into space.

"This is not good…not good at all…" He trailed off.

_Back in Neverland:_

Sora was tossing and turning in the makeshift bed that Peter had set up for him. He couldn't go to sleep for long because every time he tried to go back to sleep he was greeted with the same haunting dream of Kairi's demise. He woke up for the fifth time that night in cold sweat. He looked around panting, while wiping some of the sweat off his body. He sighed and walked out of the tree house that he was staying in. He stood out on the rickety balcony and looked up at the sky. It was a calm clear night, and the stars lit up the night sky. He thought about all that happened; and looked down at the huts below. He started to think about Kairi, and all the times that he wished he told her how he truly felt about her. He looked up at the night sky and found a star.

"Kairi…I don't know if you can hear; but…I…" Sora started before a loud yell pierced the peaceful night air.

Sora looked down at the ground and saw several huts being attacked.

"WAKE UP EVERYONE WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!!!" Sora yelled aloud.

Riku was looking for Sora, and upon hearing Sora's cry immediately headed towards the tree house. Peter emerged from his hut with his dagger in tow. A faint yellow light buzzed around his head. Peter recognized the glowing entity as his fairy friend Tinkerbell.

"Tink I need you to find Sora and make sure he's okay!" Peter stated.

Tinkerbell raced off, and Peter launched into an assault, attacking the intruders. He was able to knock one of them to the ground, and was shocked to find out that the intruders were his own Lost Boys! This was a problem; as he was going to have some major difficulties trying to figure out which one is on his side, and which one wasn't. He raced off to find Sora before it was too late. Riku was in the process of climbing the ladder that led to Sora's tree house. Sora didn't notice this as he was on the other side of the balcony watching the battles down below. Someone had lit one of the huts ablaze, and Sora was horrified; watching former friends, fight like they were sworn enemies. Riku made it to the top and quickly spotted Sora with his back turned. He slowly crept up to him with his Keyblade ready. Tinkerbell was flying around and spotted the scene. She raced down and quickly landed a swift kick to Riku's right eye. Riku screamed out in pain which caused Sora to turn around and see him. Fear grew in Sora's eyes, as he looked for a way out of there. Tinkerbell flew down and quickly doused Sora with some pixie dust. Roxas spoke to Sora telepathically.

"Sora! Think happy thoughts!" He urged.

Sora tried, but he couldn't think of anything happy.

"I can't Roxas!" Sora said fearfully.

Riku was by now no longer blinded and walked menacingly towards Sora. Sora was too frightened to get out of the way. Riku raised his Keyblade, ready to bring it down on Sora, before he let out a bloodcurdling scream. Sora looked and saw why. Peter Pan had sunk his dagger right into Riku's left shoulder. Riku's eyes burned with rage, as he clutched his shoulder. Peter withdrew his dagger, and engaged Riku in combat. Sora watched frightened, as Roxas tried to talk some sense into him, but was having no effect. Rufio was watching the whole scene from below and began making his way over towards the tree house as well. He began climbing the ladder, which went unaware by the two combatants and Sora. Rufio made his way to the top and saw Peter with his back turned. Rufio crept up closer to Peter and was poised to strike, when suddenly a loud explosion rocked the tree house. Peter's dagger flew from his hand, and Riku almost fell over. Sora however, did fall off the balcony and was plunging towards the ground. Peter saw this and quickly swooped down and saved Sora. He looked around and saw several huts ablaze, and he saw the cause of the explosion; pirates. Captain Hook's pirates were launching an all out assault on the village. Peter looked for his trusty dagger but couldn't locate it. He looked at Sora, with a grim expression.

"We gotta get you out of here!" He said flying off.

Riku watched this and attempted to follow but he ran into one of Hook's pirates. He quickly dispatched the pirate, and continued to chase after Sora, only to run into the leader of the pirates himself; Captain Hook. Hook was rather surprised to see Riku there.

"Well, we meet again; boy!" Hook said with surprise.

"Out of my way Hook, I have other matters to attend to." Riku stated.

Captain Hook seemed a little put off by that statement.

"Do you know who you are talking too? I am Captain James Hook!" He said with force.

Riku ignored him and tried to push past him, but Hook shoved him back.

"Listen here boy! You don't have Maleficent backing you anymore, so I suggest you remember your place!" Hook sneered.

Riku quickly gave Hook a shoulder tackle, knocking the pirate captain on to his backside. Hook tried to draw his sword but Riku had already drawn his Keyblade and was holding it a few inches from Hook's neck. Hook looked up fearfully at Riku, who stared right back at Hook with an emotionless expression. He called back his Keyblade, and walked off after Sora. Hook sneered after him.

"Smee!" Hook cried out!

Captain Hook's boatswain raced up to his Captain.

"Yes sir Cap'n Hook sir!" He said.

"Help me up!" Hook cried.

Smee struggled but was eventually able to lift his captain. Hook looked after Riku with contempt. He turned back to Smee, and glared at him.

"Smee! How goes the attack?" Hook asked.

"Well Cap'n; the village seemed to be deserted! So we won I guess!" Smee said.

Hook was baffled. Little did he know that Rufio had seen the whole thing and quickly sounded off the evacuation alarm. While he was running, he almost tripped over something. He looked down, and was stunned to find Peter's dagger! He quickly scooped it up and raced off to join the rest of the Lost Boys. Still Hook was ready to call it a victory, but there was one thing missing.

"Bring me that blasted Peter Pan!" Hook screamed.

Half of the pirates raced off to find him, and Hook walked off as well, still smarting from the blow that Riku gave him.

"Blasted boy!" Hook said while grimacing.

The Lost Boys had meanwhile entered a clearing, and took a breather. Thud Butt plopped down, panting heavily. He looked around and noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's…Peter…?" He asked.

"Humph! That good for nothing, decided that he would rather help that adult, then help us!" Rufio said.

"What's the big idea attacking us Rufio!?" Twin 1 and Twin 2 said in unison.

"This place needs a new leader! Someone that will look out for the Lost Boys, and won't give into the temptations of adulthood like Peter did! I had to get Peter out of there, so that's why I attacked." Rufio stated.

"Your full of crap Rufio!" Tootles said.

"Besides, who could take Peter's place?" Curly asked.

"I humbly appoint myself!" Rufio stated.

This announcement was met with mixed reviews. Those who had supported Peter, were still a little uneasy about having the man that turned on them only a few hours ago becoming their new leader. The ones who sided with Rufio however, loved the idea.

"What makes you qualified to be our leader?" Tootles demanded to know.

"Because I have this!" Rufio said holding up Peter's dagger.

The Lost Boys were stunned. Rufio basked in the adulation that came with holding such a powerful item.

"I promise, that as your leader, we will never see another adult as long as I live! We will beat all Pirates, and live long!" Rufio screamed.

This was met with widespread approval, with the exception of Tootles, who walked off in defiance. Rufio was playing to the crowd, telling them all what he would do should a pirate come, and how Pan himself had bestowed his dagger upon him. Tootles shook his head.

"I'd rather grow up than have him as a leader!" He said.

Peter had meanwhile set down in front of the gummi ship with Sora. Sora set down and thanked Peter for his help and hospitality. Peter looked at him with a forlorn look.

"Where are you gonna go now?" He asked.

Sora shrugged.

"Wherever is closest I guess." He said.

Peter nodded. Tinkerbell glowed in front of Peter.

"Tink, I want you to go and find the Lost Boys, and make sure they are okay. I'm going to see if I can get some help from Wendy." Pan said.

Tinkerbell seemed to nod and fly off. Peter turned back to Sora.

"Well Sora, good luck with everything! Just remember that not everyone thinks your guilty!" Peter said with a smile.

Sora nodded and watched Peter fly off. Sora turned and went back into the ship, fired up the engines, and took off into the stratosphere. Roxas came out of Sora, and checked the map.

"Agrabah seems to be the next stop." Roxas stated.

Sora said nothing, merely set a course for Agrabah, and seemed to get lost in his thoughts. Roxas saw this and sighed.

"I gotta get him out of this…before it becomes too late!" Roxas thought to himself.

_Back at Maleficent's Castle (Formerly Xemnas's Castle):_

Ankoku and Maleficent boarded the black and red spiked gummi ship. Pete was already on board, setting a course for Disney Castle. Maleficent took a seat while Ankoku remained standing. Maleficent looked at him, a thin smile forming on her face.

"You should learn to show some patience." She stated.

Ankoku grinned.

"Sorry, I guess the excitement is getting to me a little." He responded.

Maleficent smiled, and the smile turned into a full on laughter. Ankoku looked ahead, still grinning.

"Soon, this world will be covered in darkness…and there isn't anyone to stop us!!" He stated, his eyes flashing and a sinister grin forming on his face.

"Pete! Are we ready to launch?" Maleficent snapped.

"All set Maleficent! Next stop; Disney Castle!" Pete laughed, as the gummi ship fired off into space.

**End of Chapter 9**

_Okay, well that was chapter 9. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope that you understand that the Sora duplicate is not really a major focal point of this story, merely a cause for a bunch of effects. Some major things are going to be taking place in the next few chapters so I hope you all continue to read and enjoy! I'm hoping to get Chapter 10 and 11 and maybe 12 up by the end of next week, but I can't make any promises! Rest assured though that I will get one up! Later! _


	10. An Arabian Night

_Whew! I didn't anticipate this chapter being this long! Lot of stuff in the chapter, and there might be some mature content so be warned!_

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters here; cept for Ankoku. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 10: An Arabian Night  
**

"Sora! We're here!" Roxas said, waking Sora from his deep trance.

Sora looked out the window and saw Agrabah in front of him. He quickly entered in the command to land, and the gummi ship began its descent. The ship touched down on the outskirts of the desert city, and Sora quickly left the ship. A blast of hot, dry, air greeted Sora as he stepped down on to the sand. He quickly made his way into the city with Roxas close behind.

"So where are we going?" Roxas asked floating along.

"We need to find Aladdin and Jasmine." Sora stated.

They walked along the busy streets, seemingly unaware that they were being gawked at by numerous bystanders. They continued along the streets making their way towards the palace. Eventually they began noticing that the citizens were staring at them. Sora grew uneasy, but Roxas didn't seem to care much.

"I guess they aren't used to seeing guys like us around here." Roxas said.

Sora didn't respond, merely focusing on two younger women, who were talking to a guard. The guard listened to what they had to say and stared at Sora. He suddenly began to quickly walk off. Sora started to walk a little faster, and Roxas had some difficulty keeping up with him.

"Slow down Sora!" Roxas called out.

Sora continued to power walk down the busy Agrabah streets. He looked to his left and saw numerous guards coming out of different entry points. The all seemingly were heading towards him. He looked to his right and saw a corner alley. He watched the guards make there way towards him, and quickly darted into the alley in a full blown sprint. The guards chased after him.

"STOP CRIMINAL!!" One of the guards called out after Sora.

Sora raced down the alleyway, but as he neared the end of the alley he saw that guards had blocked off the exit. He quickly stopped and turned around only to be caught in between two sets of guards. He looked around for somewhere else to go, but he was caught.

"Alright, ya got me…" Sora said.

The guards converged on him and grabbed him by the shoulders. They drug Sora off, back into the main street; and headed towards the palace. The guards brought Sora up to the palace gates, and Sora gazed up at the huge ivory walls.

"Bring the scumbag inside! The sultan wants to see him!" One of the guards ordered.

Sora was drug by the scruff of his neck through the courtyard and into the palace. He was ushered through the main room and brought to a halt in the throne room.

"Bow your head!" The guard ordered, forcefully shoving Sora's head down.

"You stand now before the Sultan of Agrabah! May you tremble in his…" The guard began before he was interrupted by a new voice.

"That won't be necessary."

The guard bowed and backed away from Sora. Sora rubbed his sore neck and looked up to see the sultan. What he saw made his jaw drop.

"Aladdin?!" Sora said.

Aladdin sat in front of him, wearing bright white pants with gold trim, and a similar looking vest. A white cape adorned his shoulders and his trademark hat was replaced by a similar style, except this one was gold. His shoes were also gold as well, and his primate friend Abu was perched on his shoulder. He stared at Sora with soft, stern eyes.

"You're the sultan?" Sora asked.

"Yes Sora, the former Sultan was growing tired of ruling over Agrabah, and wished to relax for the rest of his life. Being next in line, I assumed the throne. He still serves as an advisor of sorts, as does Genie, when he's not out seeing the world." Aladdin explained.

"How is Jasmine?" Sora asked.

"The status of my wife is of little concern to you at this point." Aladdin said sternly.

Sora was a bit taken aback by this, but slowly realized what this meant.

"You don't trust me do you?" Sora asked grimly.

"I don't know Sora. On one hand, I remember you as the brave young man who not only saved Agrabah twice, but also saved my wife as well." Aladdin began.

"But…recently your character has come into question, and I have no doubt that you know why this is." Aladdin said.

Sora nodded sadly. Roxas suddenly jumped out of Sora, quick to defend his friend.

"Those charges are complete crap!" Roxas cried.

"SILENCE!" Aladdin said with authority, before controlling himself.

"Roxas; I will not have outbursts like that in my court!" Aladdin warned.

Roxas opened his mouth to protest but Sora was quick to silence him. Aladdin turned back to Sora.

"I have orders; that state that you are to be apprehended on sight, and turned over to the proper authorities…and that is what I intend to do. You will be placed in the dungeon, until I can find a way to transport you to Disney Castle." Aladdin stated.

"That's crap!" Roxas shouted, before Aladdin silenced him with a hand.

"Be glad that I don't adhere to Agrabah law in this instance. If I did, then the punishment would be death." Aladdin said flatly.

Aladdin looked over at two guards and nodded. The guards rushed over and carried Sora off towards the dungeon. Aladdin watched Sora leave, and then watched as his aide walked up to him.

"I'm sorry your majesty…" He began before he was cut off.

"It's better he be kept here, rather than getting hunted down like a common thief out there." He stated.

He turned to his aide.

"Have all the other prisoners been moved out of that dungeon and into the other one?" Aladdin asked.

"Yes my lord." The aide stated.

"Thank you, you may take your leave." Aladdin stated.

The aide nodded, and walked off. Aladdin sat in his throne, feeling disgusted with himself.

"I hate this damn job." He spat as he walked off.

Aladdin walked out of the throne room and into another courtyard that led to Queen Jasmine's private area. He walked through a set of glass doors, and out onto a terrace with a large fountain in the middle of a meadow. The sun was almost fully down over the city. He spied the Queen sitting on the edge of the fountain, with her faithful tiger, Rajah, at her side. Rajah growled when he sensed an intruder, but went back to normal when he saw that it was only Aladdin. Jasmine looked up at her husband. She could see the discomfort in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked gently.

Aladdin looked at his beautiful wife and sighed.

"I just had to send Sora to the dungeon." Aladdin sighed.

Jasmine sighed.

"You did the right thing…" She said.

Aladdin took a seat next to her.

"Did I really? I don't even know…I mean…I can't believe that Sora would do such a thing…but I have to rule without bias like your father taught me." He lamented.

"Yeah…it's a tough job, but you can do it Aladdin…I have faith in you. You are a brave man, an excellent ruler, and you will be an excellent father." Jasmine said, while smiling.

Aladdin smiled a bit at the thought of him becoming a father. It was only a few weeks ago that he found out that she was pregnant with their child.

"Thanks Jasmine…" Aladdin said, kissing her forehead.

Jasmine smiled and yawned.

"I think it's time for bed…" She said sleepily.

"Okay, let's go." Aladdin said as they walked off.

Sora was sitting down in the dungeon. His legs were bound, to prevent him from moving. He was alone, as Roxas had gone to bed. Sora was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep. The guards had informed them that they would be leaving for Disney Castle in the morning. He sighed as he stared out the metal bars and gazed into the rising moon. He rested his head against the brick wall and thought about how that's happened.

"Why the hell am I even trying anymore?" He said aloud.

"Nobody believes me, and I don't have the Keyblade! What good am I going to do?" Sora lamented.

"I'm not a hero…I'm nothing!" He cried.

He crashed his fist onto the ground, and stared at the ground.

"What's the point of fighting…especially when the only thing you truly care about…" He stopped as the tears came streaming down his face.

_Meanwhile: _

The doctors were running all over the place grabbing various pieces of equipment.

"Her heart rate is dropping!!!" A female doctor cried.

Dr. Rogers was doing everything in his power to keep Kairi alive, but nothing he was doing was working. Everything in her body was operating fine, except her heart, but there was no medical reason why it shouldn't be. It was as if she just didn't want to live.

"Hold on Kairi!" He said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

_Back in Agrabah:_

Sora was beating himself up, and Roxas had finally had enough. He came out of Sora, and stared him down.

"Sora…stop it now!" Roxas stated firmly.

"You need to focus! You still have shot! You can redeem yourself!" He urged.

Sora looked up at Roxas.

"What's the point? We're locked up in jail, Riku is hunting us down, I don't have the Keyblade, and Kairi…" Sora trailed off as he thought about Kairi.

"Sora…you need to keep a positive attitude…especially in a time like this! Look…do you remember the first time you went to Hollow Bastion, and Riku took your Keyblade? You had nothing but a wooden sword; but did you quit? No! You worked even harder to overcome the obstacles!" Roxas said.

Sora thought about this.

"That's what you need to do now! Life has kicked you down, but now you need to rise up and fight back!" Roxas said passionately.

Sora looked up at Roxas.

"But what is left to fight for…Kairi is…" Sora began.

"In no worse shape then when she lost her heart. You didn't know her status then, and you don't know it now. The big difference between then and now is that back then you didn't give up when life kicked you down." Roxas said firmly.

Sora sat back and took all of this in. After a few moments he looked up at Roxas.

"You're right…I need to stop moping around…and fight back." Sora said with a hint of determination.

Roxas smiled.

"That's the Sora that I remember!" Roxas said with a smirk on his face.

For the first time in what seemed to be forever…a small smile crept on Sora's face, and it actually looked like he was happy.

"Thanks Roxas." Sora said.

"Nothing at all." Roxas responded.

"Whew! We definitely dodged a bullet there! He may not be 100 back, but he's in much better shape now." Roxas thought to himself.

"We might actually have a chance now!"

_Back in the hospital:_

To say that the doctors were astonished would be putting it mildly. Never in any of their lives had they witnessed such a rapid change in a person's heart rate. In a period of twenty minutes Kairi's heart rate had gone from near flat lining to that of a normal person's heart beat, and for now, had seemingly stabilized itself.

"In all my years as a doctor, I have never seen anything quite like this…" Dr. Rogers stated with awe.

He looked at all the monitors, and they all read the same thing. The big question though was why Kairi hadn't woken up yet. All her vital signs were right were they should be, but she still lay in bed with her eyes closed. The doctors had decided against attempting to wake her for fear of another collapse in heart rate. Whatever the case, Dr. Rogers knew three people in the waiting room that were going to be relieved to hear this news. He chuckled a bit; imagining their reactions as he walked out of the room to check on a few other patients.

"I guess she found a reason to stay alive!" He said quietly to himself.

_Back in Agrabah:_

One of Aladdin's aides raced into his chambers. Aladdin was standing out on the balcony, while Jasmine was sleeping. Abu, Aladdin's faithful primate companion, was asleep in his little bed as well. Aladdin eyed the aide with curiosity as he tried to catch his breath.

"Your highness! Someone has broken into the palace searching for the prisoner!" He cried.

Aladdin tried to shush him, but it was too late as Jasmine stirred awake. Aladdin sighed.

"Where is the intruder now?" Aladdin asked.

"In the north end of the palace!" The aide stated.

"Fetch my sword." Aladdin said.

The aide raced off to fetch his sword, and Jasmine came up to Aladdin.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"There is an intruder in the castle looking for Sora; I need you to stay in here and stay safe. I will have guards stationed outside the door." Aladdin stated.

Jasmine nodded and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"Be careful!" She stated.

The aide came back up with the sword, and Aladdin quickly exited the room. Jasmine looked at the aide.

"I need to get dressed, so could you please leave?" She asked.

The aide nodded and quickly walked out of the room. Jasmine smirked and quickly walked over to her dresser.

"As long as Sora remains here this palace is in danger…so we will have to rectify that situation." She said to herself.

Aladdin was racing towards the north end; and as he drew closer he could hear the sounds of a struggle taking place. He raced around a corner to see a silver-haired young man drive his sword right into the heart of a guard. The young man turned around and faced Aladdin, who recognized him immediately.

"Riku! Why are you doing this!?" Aladdin demanded to know.

"I want Sora…NOW!" Riku said, seemingly deranged.

"We have Sora incarcerated, and tomorrow morning I will be transporting him to Disney Castle, personally." Aladdin stated.

This seemed to enrage Riku further. He drew his Keyblade, which was dripping with blood, and adopted a fighting stance. Aladdin drew his sword as well.

"Don't do this Riku!" Aladdin urged.

"I want Sora!" Riku stated again.

"I can't allow that…" Aladdin said slowly.

"Then prepare to die!" Riku roared.

Riku flew at him and Aladdin quickly went into defensive mode. Steel clashed with steel, as the two traded blows, with Riku seemingly having the upper hand. Riku pounded Aladdin with vicious blows left and right. Aladdin's sword got knocked out of his hand, and a swift kick to the sternum put Aladdin down on the ground. Riku raised the Keyblade to Aladdin's chest.

"I want Sora!" Riku repeated his demand.

"No!" Aladdin stayed firm in his decision.

"Wrong answer!" Riku said, as he plunged the Keyblade into the right pectoral muscle of Aladdin.

Aladdin cried out in pain, as the blade pierced his skin. Riku wore a sick smile as he slowly twisted the blade, causing Aladdin even more pain.

"Now…where is Sora?" Riku asked, his eyes hardening.

"G...GO TO HELL!" Aladdin said through gritted teeth.

Riku laughed a little bit, the sick smile not leaving his face.

"You first!" He said, pulling the blade out, and taking a swipe at Aladdin's neck.

Aladdin quickly dodged it, but caught a sharp blow to his left shoulder. He grimaced in pain, which caused Riku's smile to grow wider.

"You moved…big mistake!" Riku said raising his Keyblade one more time. A group of guards came into the area and saw what was going on.

"STOP!!!" One of them cried as he raced up and threw himself in front of the blade as it came crashing down.

The guard lay motionless, slain by Riku. The rest of the guards ran up and attacked Riku. Aladdin's aide came up and helped his master up and out of the room. Riku fended off the attacks of the guards, and was beginning to lead the offensive strike on them. Aladdin was helped back into his chambers, and placed in his bed. The aide told one of the guards to fetch the royal doctor. Aladdin looked around the room. Abu had awoken from the commotion and was looking at Aladdin with considerable concern. Aladdin forced a smile.

"It's okay Abu, it's just a scratch." Aladdin forced out.

He looked around but noticed that Jasmine was missing. Aladdin grew fearful.

"Guards! Go find Jasmine!" He ordered frantically as he shot up from his position, his shoulder and chest still throbbing.

"But sire…this will leave your room unprotected!" The aide stated.

"I DON'T CARE! GO FIND MY WIFE!" Aladdin roared.

The aide quickly nodded and the remaining guards left his room to search for the missing queen.

"Allah knows what I would do if I lost her…" Aladdin said laying back down in bed.

_While all this was going on:_

Down in the dungeon, Sora was growing restless.

"I need to get out of here!" He moaned.

Suddenly the door opened, and Sora heard someone descending the steps quickly. Sora watched a figure come into view, and he recognized the raven-haired beauty immediately.

"Jasmine!" Sora cried.

She raised her mouth to shush him. She quickly undid the shackles that bound his legs together.

"We need to get you out of here now." She said flatly.

Jasmine quickly raced over to the wall of the dungeon and pushed aside one of the stone blocks. She motioned for Sora to quickly follow her out, and Sora did just that. They raced along the back alleys of the city, before eventually making their way to the gummi ship. Sora thanked Jasmine and quickly got on the ship. Sora fired up the engines and quickly took off. Jasmine watched him fly off, and then quickly raced back to the palace.

_Back to present time: _

Riku was tearing the palace apart searching for Sora. He was ripping up the main hall when he heard the door crack open. He turned and saw Jasmine walk in. She stopped like a deer in headlights upon seeing Riku. She tried to scamper off, but Riku was too quick and cut her off. He sneered at her, and she trembled in his firm grip.

"Please don't hurt me…I'm pregnant…" She pleaded.

"I don't give a crap that you're knocked up…I want Sora!" Riku snarled.

"He's not here! He just left in his gummi ship…" Jasmine told him.

Riku grew incensed with rage. He gripped her tighter, forcing her to her knees. He called forth his Keyblade.

"Why you filthy…!!" Riku stated as he raised his Keyblade to strike her.

Jasmine closed her eyes, and waited for the blow…but it never came. Jasmine opened her eyes and was puzzled by what she saw. Riku was still there, and the blade was still raised; but there appeared to be some hesitation in his body, as if there was an internal conflict going on. Eventually, several of the guards came into the room, and Riku quickly raced out the front door and into the streets of Agrabah. Most of the guards went after him, but one stayed behind to help the Queen. Aladdin's aide rushed up and quickly began checking out the Queen for injuries.

"I'm fine…" She assured the aide.

"Where is the Sultan?" She asked.

"That young infidel attacked and seriously hurt him! He's being looked at by the royal doctor in his chambers!" The aide responded.

Jasmine quickly raced back to the bedroom, and arrived to see Aladdin sitting up, with the doctor stitching up his wounded chest. His shoulder was all bandaged up, and his eyes seemed quite relieved to see Jasmine unharmed. He tried to get up but the pain put him right back down. Jasmine walked over and kissed her husband.

"Where's Sora?" He asked.

"He left in the gummi ship." She responded.

Aladdin let out a small yelp as the doctor applied another stitch.

"What about Riku?" He grimaced.

"Gone too." She said, while pondering what she had witnessed.

She snuggled closer to her husband.

"I hope that Sora can clear his name." Jasmine said.

"Me too…" Aladdin said.

Dr. Rogers came bursting through the door and into the waiting room, and as usual was met with three expectant faces. He smiled, which seemed to lift their spirits, though they still seemed ready for the worst.

"I have great news…Kairi's heart has stabilized." Dr. Rogers finally stated, breaking the silence.

A great cry of joy went up in the room, as Donald was going crazy, and Goofy was racing towards a phone to tell King Mickey the great news. Naminé had begun crying again, but this time, the tears were of joy rather than sadness.

"Can we see her now doctor?" Naminé asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately no…as she is still under surveillance, and she hasn't awoken yet." Dr. Rogers stated.

Naminé's head drooped a little bit.

"Don't worry though, everything appears fine, and it looks like she might be able to see visitors as soon as she wakes up." Dr. Rogers said in an effort to comfort her.

"I don't get it doc…how did this happen?" Donald said, making his way back from partying around the room.

"To be honest, I have no idea…there is no medical data that even suggests that she could be alive at this point. It's the strangest thing. One of the nurses even told us that she saw Kairi's heart rate jump 60 beats and actually move and speak for a brief second, before returning to her usual state." Dr. Rogers stated.

"What did she say?" Donald asked.

"Gibberish, but it was the same thing over and over: the word 'So' and 'Ra'" He said.

Donald thought about it but couldn't work it through his noggin. Naminé got it right away.

"Sora!" She exclaimed.

"Wak! Where?" Donald said bringing out his staff.

"No Donald; that was what Kairi was saying; Sora!" She explained.

Dr. Rogers thought about it.

"Well…this 'Sora' that you speak of might have been the thing that was keeping her alive!" Dr. Rogers guessed, before glancing down at his pager which had begun beeping.

"I have to go, but I will keep you posted." He said running off.

Donald and Naminé looked at each other.

"Why would Kairi be thinking about Sora, after he's the one that attacked her?" Donald asked puzzled.

"I don't know…other than maybe Kairi knows something that we don't?" Naminé offered.

"You live inside her, don't you? You are able to access her memories right? Well, just go in there and find out!" Donald stated.

"No…I don't want to cause her to go back into that state she was in…" Naminé said.

"Well…don't you remember anything?" Donald asked.

"I was outside of her body when Sora attacked, and I was in a corner, frightened while they fought so I don't know much…but I think I remember Kairi saying something about not knowing who he was…but that's about it." Naminé reminisced.

"That's a little strange...I find it hard to believe that she wouldn't know who Sora was…" Donald said.

Just then Goofy came back in the room with a concerned look on his face.

"That's the second time that King Mickey hasn't picked up the phone!" Goofy stated.

"What!? Why didn't you tell us that he didn't answer the first time you called?" Donald asked.

Goofy scratched his head.

"Well…I thought he might be in the tub or something." He said.

"Something seems very fishy here…" Donald said.

He turned to Goofy.

"Goofy…we need to get back to Disney Castle." Donald informed him.

"But Donald…King Mickey told us to stay here!" Goofy protested.

"Goofy…there's something fishy going on, and King Mickey is MIA. Kairi is in capable hands here, and Naminé can stay and keep us updated." Donald said.

"Well…alright Donald!" Goofy said.

"We'll be back as soon as possible!" Donald said to Naminé, who nodded in return.

They raced out to the gummi ship, and Donald quickly got in and fired up the ship. He entered in the launch codes and the ship's engines powered on.

"Sit tight Goofy! We're taking off!" Donald screamed.

Goofy strapped himself in, and Donald pushed the buttons to launch the ship. The ship rocketed off into the night's sky towards Disney Castle.

From out of the shadows, the hooded figure appeared, watching the ship fly off. The figure quickly raced off, towards the gummi ship that it had parked behind a hill near the hospital. The figure quickly boarded the ship and turned on the communications link. Maleficent came on screen with Ankoku and stared at the hooded figure.

"What is your report?" Maleficent asked.

**End of Chapter 10**

_I plan to have chapter 11 hopefully up by Thursday; and then maybe I can get to 12 this weekend, but it depends how fast I get done with 11. So chapter 11 will be up later this week, and chapter 12 will be up either end of this week or early next week! Later! Keep reading and thanks to all my reviewers!_


	11. Darkness and Despair

_Well here's chapter 11. It's rather short, and was actually going to be shorter but I decided to add parts from Chapter 12, and knocked the story down a few chapters. Don't worry the story won't be shortened, the chapters are merely being made longer, and I'm continuously adding new ideas for the later chapters so stay tuned! _

_I wish I did, but I don't own any of the characters than Ankoku. _

**Chapter 11: Darkness and Despair**

Donald and Goofy were fast approaching Disney Castle in their gummi ship. As they drew closer and closer to the castle they grew concerned that no voice recognition request was being issued to them. Donald and Goofy quickly checked the main screen and they noticed that the force field around the planet was seemingly gone.

"That's weird..." Donald thought to himself.

Donald pressed in a few buttons to attempt to contact the Castle hangar, more specifically Chip and Dale, but received no answer in return.

"Okay, now I'm really worried." Donald stated.

Goofy nodded in agreement, as Donald entered in a new set of codes. The ship began its descent onto the castle grounds. The ship docked in the hanger, and Donald and Goofy quickly exited the ship. There was no sign of Chip or Dale, and the duo raced up the steps out of the hangar and into the garden. It was nighttime, and the garden seemed peaceful, but the lack of servants had Donald feeling uneasy about the whole scene.

"Be careful Goofy!" Donald warned.

Donald and Goofy walked slowly along the pathway that led from the garden to the interior of the castle. They were about twenty feet from the garden entrance to the castle, before a batch of heartless sprang up in front of them.

"Heartless!" Donald yelled as he raised his staff ready to attack.

"Donald!" Goofy cried out.

"What Goofy?" Donald asked.

"There's more of them!" Goofy yelled.

Donald turned around to see roughly 200 soldier heartless behind him.

"WAK!" Donald cried in surprise.

More heartless popped in front of them, and in no time at all, they were surrounded. Donald and Goofy circled around, their backs to each other, as they pondered what to do.

"I don't like the looks of this Donald!" Goofy said with worry.

"Well well...if it isn't the King's lackeys!" A familiar voice called out.

Donald and Goofy looked to their left, and their eyes hardened when they saw the enchantress Maleficent.

"Maleficent!" Donald cried.

Maleficent smiled evilly.

"Either surrender now or succumb to the darkness!" She warned.

"We will never give in to you Maleficent!" Goofy cried out.

"Have it your way!" Maleficent said, her eyes gleaming.

The heartless pounced upon the duo. Donald and Goofy battled back valiantly, and were able to make quite a bit of progress, which didn't sit too well with Maleficent.

"Time to end this!" She said, raising her staff.

A bright green glow emanated from her staff, and two green balls shot out and nailed both Donald and Goofy. The duo crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Heh…" Maleficent chuckled to herself.

Maleficent raised her staff and recalled the heartless. She glanced over her right shoulder towards a bush and smirked.

"You can come out now." She called out to the bush.

Pete and Ankoku emerged from the bush and walked over to Maleficent, both grinning from ear to ear. Ankoku smiled at Maleficent, and looked at the two unconscious warriors on the ground.

"Nice work." He said.

Maleficent bowed a little, and then shot a glare at Pete.

"Pete! Don't just stand there! Grab them and lock them inside until their transport arrives to take them back to my castle!" Maleficent snapped.

Pete nodded quickly and grabbed the unconscious duo, and took them inside. Ankoku walked up to Maleficent and extended his arm out to her.

"I do believe we have some destruction to attend to my dear!" He grinned.

Maleficent laughed and took his arm, and they went to their ship. The ship launched off into the night's sky for an unknown destination. An hour later another gummi ship landed at Disney Castle, and the hooded figure got off. Pete came out onto the balcony with a grumpy look.

"What kept ya?" Pete grumbled.

The figure said nothing, and merely pointed to the ship. Pete mumbled to himself and brought out the still unconscious Donald and Goofy, and quickly loaded them onto the ship. The hooded figure quickly got back on the ship and sped back towards Maleficent's Castle.

Mickey had been sitting in his cell caressing his unconscious wife for seemingly hours now. Suddenly she heard a small groan and looked down with surprise to see his wife beginning to stir.

"Minnie?" Mickey asked with disbelief.

Minnie opened her eyes and stared up at her husband.

"Mickey?" She said sleepily.

Mickey held his wife close and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank the stars you're okay…" Mickey said, greatly relieved.

"Where are we?" Minnie asked looking around the cell.

"The World that Never Was, in Xemnas's old castle." Mickey replied.

"Where is everyone else?" Minnie inquired.

"Back at the Castle…in the dungeon." Mickey answered.

"Mickey what is going on?" Minnie asked.

Mickey sighed and proceeded to tell his wife everything that happened. He told her about Ankoku and his Sora duplicate, how Sora was falsely accused by him, and now being chased across the worlds by Riku as public enemy #1. He told her of Riku's manipulation; and how he was now no less than a blood thirsty killer. He told her of Kairi's condition, and how Pete was able to break into the castle, and neutralize the cornerstone with the Amulet of Darkness.

"That's awful! But what do they intend to do?" Minnie asked.

Mickey's face became grave, and he struggled to find the words.

"T…they are going to plunge the worlds into eternal darkness…" Mickey stuttered.

Minnie cocked her head at Mickey.

"Didn't they try that before?" She asked.

Mickey nodded.

"Yes, but not in this way…" Mickey stated.

"What are they doing differently?" Minnie prodded.

Mickey looked up at his wife, and the look on his face scared her. She had been married to him for many years, and she had never seen him this frightened before. He turned his head away, and she actually heard him sniffle, which completely shocked her.

"Mickey?" Minnie inquired.

He looked up at her with an ominous look.

"They are going to unlock the Eternal Void." He said.

Before Minnie could inquire about the Void, the outside door opened. They looked up to see a Large Body carrying two new prisoners into the dungeon. Mickey and Minnie's eyes grew wide as they recognized the Court Magician and the Captain of the Army.

"Donald!! Goofy!!" Mickey called out, but was given no response.

He watched, unable to do anything as they were taken through another set of doors. Mickey fell to his knees, and Minnie crawled over to console her husband. His eyes looked sad and forlorn.

"That's it…" He stated softly.

"All hope is lost…"

Maleficent and Ankoku set down on a dark and seemingly barren wasteland. This new world hadn't shown up on any of the maps of the worlds. Ankoku looked out on the desolate planet and took it all in.

"Emptiness…it's fabulous…" He gushed.

Maleficent came up and took a look around.

"Yes it is…could use a few tortured souls though…" She noted.

Ankoku laughed.

"My dear; you are a woman after my own heart!" He grinned.

She laughed and they walked off. They walked a short while before they came upon a large rock that jutted out of the ground. Ankoku looked at the stone, and felt the surface of it, as if he was looking for something. His eyes lit up as he seemingly found what he was looking for. His hand found an oval shaped hole. He pulled out the Amulet of Darkness, and placed it in the hole. At first nothing happened, which caused Ankoku to get antsy. Maleficent smirked.

"You really need to work on your patience my friend." She stated.

The ground suddenly began to rumble and shake violently. Ankoku fell to the ground, but Maleficent hovered slightly above the ground, avoiding the ground shocks. Ankoku looked up at her, and raised a hand. He formed a small platform out of pure darkness and was able to stand on it. Maleficent smirked at him, and he merely shook his head.

"Show off." He muttered.

They watched as a large castle rose up from the ground, raising high into the sky. The castle was old and decrepit, but Maleficent and Ankoku stared at it with awe usually reserved for stately manors and enormous mansions. Ankoku quickly grabbed the amulet and they walked up to the castle doors, and walked inside. They made their way up to the roof of the castle, where an ancient and rusted machine stood. The machine pointed high in the air, looking like a laser of sorts. Ankoku eyed the machine with utter fascination, while Maleficent found the ancient controls to the machine. She pressed a few buttons, and the machine began to move. A black beam shot out of the machine and up into the sky. Ankoku looked up at it with glee. The whole planet suddenly began to turn black, and Ankoku watched as the sky began to turn blood red.

"YES! THIS IS WONDERFUL!" Ankoku screamed with delight.

Maleficent began to chuckle, and it slowly turned into a full on cackle as she watched the machine go to work. She slowly regained her bearings and called out to Ankoku.

"Come we must return to the ship!" She said.

Ankoku nodded and they left the rooftop and made their way back through the castle. As they were walking they noticed that the castle seemed to be restoring itself. Paintings that were tattered were returning to their former prestige, and the rusted suits of armor turned back into their original forms. They made their way out front and looked at the castle. It was no longer decrepit and falling apart, it was a stately castle with black walls and blood red tops. They made their way back to the gummi ship and fired up the engines. Maleficent set a course for the World that Never Was and the ship flew off into the now blood red sky. Ankoku flipped on a screen that showed a live map of the worlds. The entire sky was now a full on blood red, and from out of the corner of the map, an enormous black fog was slowly working its way across the map. One world was already covered by the cloud, while another was about to be. He grinned at what he saw.

"The Pridelands have been completely overrun by darkness and the Land of Dragons is being assaulted now!" Ankoku said gleefully.

Maleficent cackled again.

"In a matter of days, the entire universe will be completely ruined! Chaos will ensue, and in all the devastation; we will reign supreme!" She said.

Ankoku sneered.

"The worlds will pay dearly for all of my suffering!" He declared.

He walked back over to Maleficent and took a seat next to her. He opened a compartment on the ship, and pulled out a bottle and two glasses. Maleficent smirked.

"Champagne?" She asked with a curt smile.

Ankoku grinned.

"A celebration of a plan working perfectly!" He exclaimed as he popped the cork and poured out two glasses.

Ankoku grinned and held his glass out.

"To a universe filled with darkness!" He toasted.

Maleficent chuckled and clinked her glass with his. She took a big gulp and set the glass down.

"Do you know what the best part of all this is?" She asked Ankoku.

"No, what?" Ankoku asked; pouring himself another glass.

"With the King and his lackeys in prison, the princess of heart incapacitated, and the Keyblade master running for his life from Riku; there isn't anyone that can stop us!!" Maleficent cackled gleefully.

The sinister duo shared a villainous laugh as they sped off back towards the World that Never Was.

From his prison cell, Mickey was able to see the sky change color through the lone barred window in his cell. He watched with dismay as the once beautiful sky turned blood red. Mickey's ears drooped and he let out a long sigh. Minnie tried to comfort him, but she was unable to change his mood. He dropped his head to the ground.

"I've doomed us all…" He muttered sadly.

He looked back up at the window.

"Sora…I'm so sorry…"

**End of Chapter 11**

_Well, I don't think I can get chapter 12 done by the end of this weekend, but I promise chapter 12 and 13 will be up sometime next week. I might be able to get around to chapter 14 as well, but time and other outside forces will force me to wait and see! Take it easy everyone!_


	12. The Great Escpae

_Surprise! Okay I guess I lied a bit, but I really didn't expect to get everything done in time to finish chapter 12! I don't know when I can get to 13, but it will be done sometime this week and I hope to get 14 at least started. _

_Once again I don't own anyone except Ankoku. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 12: The Great Escape**

Mickey fell to the ground like a lifeless blob, not moving and looking ahead with a forlorn look in his eyes. Minnie looked at her husband with awe. She had never seen him like this before. No matter what problem seemed to befall the kingdom or the worlds, he went about his business with courage and valor. Now he sat before her; a quivering mass unsure about what to do. She needed to do something. Things seemed bleak, but she knew that if he just outright gave up; then any small amount of hope would be lost. She quietly walked over to the corner of the room. Mickey didn't even look up at his wife as she sat down in front of him. She looked at him with determination in her eyes.

"Mickey…we need to get out of her." She urged.

Mickey's sad eyes glanced up at her.

"It's impossible…" He replied sadly.

"Nothing is impossible if you just put your mind to it." Minnie stated.

Mickey muttered something unintelligibly, as Minnie glanced around the room. She looked around the room and out to where the Large Body was standing guard. A large bubble emerged from its nose which repulsed Minnie.

"Still, at least it's asleep; that could be useful…" She noted to herself.

Minnie glanced up at the ceiling and noticed an air vent. She eyed it carefully, but quickly realized that she would be unable to reach it. Still, it gave her an idea on how to get out of there. She quickly went back over to her moping husband, and grasped him by the shoulders. Mickey looked up at her.

"Mickey…I have a plan to escape!" She said quietly.

Mickey sighed.

"Why bother…what good will it do?" He moaned.

"We might be able to stop them!" Minnie replied.

"It's hopeless Minnie! There's no way that we can stop them! They opened the Void!" Mickey cried out.

Minnie looked at her husband, reared her hand back and slapped him hard across his right cheek. Mickey grabbed his face; stunned that his wife had just struck him. He looked up at her with shocked eyes. Minnie wore an angry expression.

"Mickey…in all the years that I have known you as a friend, girlfriend, and as your wife; I have never seen you give up on anything! Why is this any different? You say it's hopeless and that nothing can be done, but you can at least try! Are you going to tell me that you would rather sit in a cell and watch the worlds fall into darkness, or would you rather stand up and fight back!? It may be hopeless, but all is not lost! As long as you are willing to fight, you still have a chance to make things right!" Minnie pleaded as tears began forming in her eyes.

Mickey sat quietly, pondering his wife's words. He looked up at her with wonder, and slowly stood up. She bent her head down, as the tears rolled down her cheek and onto the ground. Mickey lifted her chin and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled apart and smiled a little.

"Where'd you learn to hit like that?" He asked softly, rubbing his cheek.

Minnie smiled while trying to wipe away tears from her eyes.

"I live with a king who puts me through constant worry; so I had to learn to be tough… and those self-defense classes that Daisy and I were taking before she got pregnant helped out a bit too." Minnie explained.

Mickey looked at her with surprise.

"Daisy's pregnant?" He asked.

Minnie nodded.

"Well…don't tell Donald that!" Mickey said.

Mickey suddenly grew serious.

"So what's the plan?" He asked.

Minnie pointed up at the air vent. Mickey looked at her with a puzzled look.

"Minnie there's no way that we can reach that." He told her.

Minnie smiled.

"Give me a boost and take some notes!" She said.

Mickey shrugged and held his hands out for Minnie to step on. She placed her foot in his hands and was quickly thrust up by her husband. Minnie was about halfway up from the vent, and she looked down at her husband.

"Mickey! Raise me higher!" She shouted.

"Minnie! Shh! You'll wake the guard!" Mickey said quietly.

"What!?" Minnie said loudly.

The Large Body outside the cell stirred awake and looked inside to see Minnie standing on top of Mickey. The heartless scratched his head and looked up at what they seemed to be reaching for, and saw the vent. It suddenly realized what they were trying to do and quickly charged at the door. The steel door came crashing down, and the Large Body quickly revved up to charge again.

"Minnie!" Mickey cried out to his wife.

Minnie looked and saw the heartless, and quickly hopped down and backed against the wall of the cell. Mickey did the same, and Minnie looked at him.

"When I say so…break apart…" Minnie instructed.

Mickey nodded. The heartless finished charging up, and barreled towards to two mice. The heartless was drawing closer and closer, before it was almost on top of them.

"Now!" Minnie cried out.

They broke away and ran in opposite directions. The heartless slammed into the wall, leaving a large dent in the steel. The heartless was dazed and tried to shake the cobwebs out of its head. Minnie looked at Mickey.

"Mickey! Use the chain to bring him down on his back!" She screamed.

Mickey quickly raced up to the back of the still dazed heartless, and jumped up and wrapped the chain attached to his shackles around the neck of the Large Body. He quickly hung down which caused the heartless to become unstable. The heartless began to fall backwards, and Mickey quickly transitioned his body so that he wouldn't get squashed. The heartless crashed into the ground and Minnie quickly raced up and grabbed the keys that were hanging on the heartless's belt. She tossed the keys to Mickey, who quickly undid his shackles. He called forth his golden Keyblade, and made quick work of the incapacitated heartless. Mickey recalled his Keyblade and looked at his wife with utter fascination.

"You planned that?" He asked.

"Well…a lot was improvised…" She stated while shrugging.

Mickey grinned.

"You are something else!" He exclaimed.

Minnie laughed. Mickey quickly called his Keyblade forth and raced over to the door. He motioned for his wife to follow. He tossed her the ring of keys as she came forth.

"We need to find Donald and Goofy, and then get out of here; if we are lucky we might be able to find Sora and fix all this." He said.

Minnie smiled.

"Now that's the man I married!" She said as they raced off to find their friends.

They raced around several corridors, with Mickey defeating several heartless that got in their way. The raced down the corner and ran into several Large Bodies, who were none to happy to see the royal duo out of their cell. Mickey looked around, but couldn't see an easy way out of this situation without harming Minnie. Mickey couldn't find a solution until finally something hit him.

"Minnie! Faith technique!" Mickey called out.

He raised his Keyblade in the air and Minnie leapt up and tapped it with the ring on her finger. A blinding light filled the room, and when the light died out, the Large Bodies were still there, but Mickey could see that they were weakened. He quickly finished them off before they could regain their bearings. Mickey and Minnie smirked at each other before continuing the search for their friends.

_Meanwhile:_

Donald and Goofy were sitting in their cell, pondering everything that had happened; when they heard an alarm go off. Donald and Goofy looked at each other with puzzled faces.

"Gawsh…I wonder what that's all about!" Goofy said.

Suddenly, the door to their left opened up and two figures dashed into the room. Donald and Goofy's eyes lit up as they recognized who the people were.

"YOUR MAJESTY!!!" Donald cried.

"And Queen Minnie too!!" Goofy exclaimed.

Mickey smiled at his friends and quickly unlocked their cell. The duo quickly pounced on their King, and hugged him tightly.

"We didn't know what happened to you!" Donald exclaimed.

"We're so glad you're not hurt!" Goofy added.

They continued to smother their king, before Minnie cleared her throat. The trio looked up at her and she smiled at them.

"As cute as that is…I'm afraid we have more pressing matters to worry about…" She said as she pointed to the alarm that was blaring.

The trio nodded and quickly got up and followed the Queen out of the room. They raced along the hallways, making their way down to the base of the castle. It was fortunate for the foursome, that three of them had been to the castle before, and for the most part remembered how to get out of there. They made their way down to where the gummi ships were being held, only to be met with several hordes of heartless. Mickey looked at Donald and Goofy who looked back at him.

"You guys know what to do!" Mickey said to his friends.

Donald and Goofy nodded and the foursome split off into two groups. Mickey and Minnie would use their faith technique, and Mickey's Keyblade to clear out several hordes; whereas Goofy was spinning like a tornado taking out bunches of heartless and Donald was casting Thundaga and Blizzaga at will. In a matter of minutes, the room was cleared of all the heartless. They all quickly boarded one of the enemy gummi ships, and quickly fired off into the blood red sky. The foursome celebrated they drifted farther away from the World that Never Was.

"Where to your majesty?" Goofy asked.

Mickey sat and pondered. He looked at his wife and seemed to make up his mind.

"We need to get to Twilight Town hospital first and foremost…" Mickey started.

Donald set the course for Twilight Town; and the ship went on auto-pilot.

"This way we can get the Queen to safety, and we should be able to call off the manhunt for Sora." He continued.

Goofy and Donald looked at each other and then at their King with puzzled expressions.

"But…why?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah isn't he the one that attacked Kairi?" Donald asked.

Mickey shook his head.

"No, he was framed." Mickey stated firmly.

Donald and Goofy both seemed to collectively sigh at hearing this news.

"So then who's the culprit?" Donald asked.

"Maleficent and a new guy named Ankoku. They conjured up a plan that involved using a Sora duplicate made of pure darkness to frame Sora; for the purpose of getting him out of the way. They also have been controlling Riku, and he's little more than a savage now, hunting Sora down." Mickey said.

"But why?" Donald asked.

Mickey sighed and pointed out the window. Goofy scratched his head.

"They wanted to make the sky red?" He asked.

Mickey smirked at Goofy's statement.

"Kind of…they wanted to open the Eternal Void." Mickey stated.

"What's that?" Donald inquired.

Mickey looked at them, and slowly began to speak.

"A long time ago, before any of us existed; there was an evil sorcerer who was banished by the worlds due to his evil ways. He had created a machine that harnessed pure darkness, and hoped to use it as a military weapon of sorts. When he presented the machine to a council of world representatives, they were outraged by the machine. They decreed that he would be banished from the worlds; and that his wretched machine would be destroyed so that it may never be used. He was forced to a small barren planet that was hereafter known as the forbidden world; and told to remain there for the rest of his days. Naturally, he wasn't happy and swore revenge on the worlds." Mickey said before pausing to clear his throat.

"That revenge came in the form of his machine. He was able to get into the minds of several men and had them bring his machine to the Forbidden World. This machine had the power to cover the entire universe in pure darkness, all at the touch of a button; and he quickly showed the machine's power by firing it on one of the worlds. The first world was the world where the council would meet, and in no time the world was covered in darkness, and its inhabitants became little more than savages, all attacking and killing each other, for no reason other than fun." Mickey said with disdain in his voice.

"The sorcerer had a lavish castle built by some of the enslaved representatives and made his home there. He then turned his machine to full power which caused the sky to turn blood red, and a huge black fog to converge on the worlds. One by one a world would fall to the darkness, until only Radiant Garden remained. With only Radiant Garden remaining all seemed lost, but in all of the darkness, a light shone forth." Mickey said and looked around at the captive faces.

"Now you may not know this, but Sora was not the first person to wield the Keyblade, though he is the chosen one as told by legends. There have been numerous keepers of the blade long before any of us were born. Well, the keeper at this point in time decided to do something about the sorcerer, and armed with the Keyblade, he set out to face the sorcerer at his evil lair." Mickey stated.

"Now by all reason, the Keyblade wielder should have been turned into a savage the moment he set foot on the ground of the Forbidden World. However, his heart was connected, much like Sora's is, to a princess of heart, whom he was married too. This served as a protector of sorts, but the darkness still had some affect on him. What followed was a vicious battle, and in the end, after the Keyblade wielder selflessly sacrificed himself and trapped the machine and the sorcerer in a specially created portal that he opened with his Keyblade. Unfortunately, he was unable to make it out as he needed to close the portal from the inside. With his last power as the portal was closing, the sorcerer placed his power in a small amulet, and tossed it out of the portal as it closed." Mickey stated.

"The worlds were able to return to normal from this selfless hero, and they celebrated his name. The amulet was taken into possession by the World's Council, but over the years it was stolen and lost. Somehow, some way it found its way into Xemnas's castle, and now it's in the hands of Maleficent and Ankoku. The amulet serves as a key of sorts to the portal; you see, this Keyblade wielder lacked the strength that Sora possess, and while his keyhole cannot be unlocked by anything other than a Keyblade; it still is weak enough to be overloaded by the amulet, and thus the void could be opened." Mickey said as he walked over to a computer screen.

Mickey turned on a screen that produced a live map of the worlds. He watched as three jaws collectively dropped upon viewing the map. One third of the map was now covered by the black fog, and the Pridelands, Land of Dragons, and the Olympic Coliseum were besieged by complete darkness. Minnie brought her hands to her mouth in shock, and Donald merely shook his head in displeasure. Mickey turned off the screen and looked at them with all seriousness.

"Right now, the worlds are under siege from this darkness, and the only way that we can stop it, is to find Sora." Mickey said.

"But…what if Riku already got to Sora?" Goofy asked.

Mickey shuddered as he thought about that prospect.

"If that is the case…then all hope of ever seeing light again…is lost."

The rest of them let that thought sink in, but their thoughts were interrupted by the ship's navigation system beeping. Donald walked over and looked at the screen. He entered in a few different buttons, and turned back to the trio.

"We're here!" He said as the ship began its descent into Twilight Town.

**End of Chapter 12**

_There you go! See ya later!_


	13. Battle Lines are Drawn

_Sorry for the delays people, been really busy lately but here is chapter 13. _

_Again, I don't own any of the following characters other than Ankoku. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 13: Battle Lines are Drawn**

They stepped off the ship and quickly raced inside the waiting room of the hospital. Naminé looked up in surprise to see all them ragged and exhausted.

"What happened to you?" She asked as Minnie sat down in the seat next to her.

Mickey walked out to place a phone call to lift the manhunt for Sora. Donald and Goofy took seats and waited for Mickey to return.

"We were captured by Maleficent dear…" Minnie informed Naminé.

"Yeah! Sora is innocent!" Donald exclaimed.

"And the darkness is coming!" Goofy added.

"Riku isn't himself!" Donald continued.

"We need to find the amulet!" Goofy prattled on.

Minnie finally held up a hand, and the two stopped rambling on. She looked to the doorway, and the rest of them slowly followed her gaze. Mickey stood in the doorway, his face bore grim news.

"The line to the H.W.S. has been tampered with…which means we can't call off the search for Sora…" He said gloomily.

The group seemed shocked, with the exception for Naminé who didn't know what was going on.

"Wait, can someone fill me in on what's going on?" She asked.

Mickey nodded.

"Maleficent and a new ally named Ankoku created a Sora duplicate, which is what attacked us in the fortress. They did this to create a distraction and to get Sora out of the way. They manipulated Riku as well, so that now he is on a personal man-hunt for Sora as well. They have obtained the Amulet of Darkness which serves as a key to a portal known as the Eternal Void, which will cover the worlds in pure darkness, turning everyone into savages, slaves to the darkness if you will; and that's the basic gist of what's going on." Mickey explained.

"That doesn't sound good…" Naminé said.

"No it isn't, and with Sora still out there being hunted down, things don't look good." Mickey replied.

"Hey Naminé, how's Kairi doing? Is she awake yet?" Goofy asked.

They all leaned in to hear any new information on Kairi's condition. Naminé merely shook her head.

"She still hasn't woken up yet, but the doctors said that her condition has remained the same...so that's something good…" Naminé said.

The group looked at each other.

"So now what do we do?" Donald asked.

Mickey sighed.

"Well, we don't know where Sora is, and the only lead we might be able to get is from Kairi, but she seems to be incapacitated at the moment, so for now I guess we just hide out here and wait for her to get better. In the meantime, I am going to do everything in my power to get a hold of the other worlds, and inform them of Sora's innocence." Mickey said looking around at the nodding faces.

"Right now…it's all up to Sora…" He said.

_Meanwhile:_

"Let's go to Atlantica you said! They'll surly help us." Roxas said sarcastically in Sora's head.

"How was I supposed to know that King Triton would have teamed up with Riku to capture me!" Sora said, as his dolphin body swam faster and faster away.

He dove behind a small pile of rocks, and watched several of King Triton's armed guards swim past. Sora breathed a sigh of relief.

"So now what do we do?" Roxas asked.

"Find the ship and try the next world; there's bound to be someone in this universe that will help us out." Sora replied.

Sora looked out over the rock pile and saw that the coast was clear. He quickly swam out from behind the pile and headed up towards the surface. His head burst through the calm ocean waves, and he looked ahead towards his ship. He noticed that there were some people standing in front of the ship, and he noticed that they were holding weapons as well. Sora moved in for a closer look, hiding behind a large rock that jutted out of the sea. He looked ahead and his eyes grew hard as he recognized Riku, standing alongside several dozen soldiers. They had his ship surrounded; so there was no way that he was going to be escaping. Sora's mind began to race as he tried to think up a plan, but nothing was coming to him. Roxas popped out of his body and stood up on the rock and looked at the soldiers.

"Well? Now what?" He said looking at Sora, who was still treading water.

"Well, maybe we can have better luck at nightfall…" Sora stated with some uncertainty.

"You can tell when it's night?" Roxas said pointing up to the blood red sky.

"That's not a good sign…" Sora said noticing the sky for the first time.

"When we landed here it was still blue right?" Sora asked his nobody.

"Well…it was kinda cloudy, and I saw a bit of gray, so I would call it a bluish-grayish-whitish kind of color." Roxas stated matter-of-factly.

"So in other words…yes." Sora said.

Sora looked more at the blood red sky, and the ominous clouds that accompanied it.

"I think I need to find a way to get my Keyblade back, or something really bad is going to happen." Sora said ominously.

Sora looked along the coastline, and saw spotless beaches with no soldiers. Sora started to swim away, and Roxas was quick to jump back in Sora so he wasn't stranded. Sora swam a good mile before coming out of the water, and looked around. He saw a long wall that ran the stretch of coastline. Behind the wall stood a castle, but he could only see the tops of it. He looked around a bit more, and after seeing no soldiers, he started heading for the beach. Unbeknownst to Sora, a young girl with dark hair was playing on the beach, and when she saw Sora, she froze with fear. Sora was wading in the wake, and he froze too when he saw the young girl.

"Uh…hi?" Sora said finally.

The young girl let out a scream and ran back up towards the walled in area. Sora quickly went back out to the water, for safety.

"Smooth…" Roxas said sarcastically.

Sora watched from afar as the young girl, raced up the beach, into a large fenced in area. He pondered what to do next when he noticed the girl return, this time with an older woman with red hair. The older woman seemed to be scolding the young girl, who was pointing out to the sea. Sora squinted hard, and realized that the woman walking was Ariel! He quickly swam up and waved to her. Sora saw the young girl jumping up and down and pointing at him, and Ariel was quickly shooing the young girl back towards the wall. Sora came up to the wake, and Ariel looked at him with a hard expression.

"Hi Ariel long time no see!" Sora said cheerfully.

Ariel didn't respond immediately, merely staring back at Sora, not taking her eyes off of Sora for a minute. Sora saw this for what it was and sighed.

"Ariel…I didn't do it, I'm being framed and I need help to prove my innocence. I don't have my Keyblade, and I need to get out of here before Riku kills me." Sora stated.

Ariel still didn't say anything. Sora looked at her. He looked at the young girl who was peeking out from behind Ariel's long skirt. He smiled at her.

"Hello! Who are you?" He said gently to the little girl.

"Leave her alone!" Ariel suddenly snapped.

Sora raised his hands up in defense.

"Whoa, I didn't mean any harm; I just wanted to know her name." Sora said trying to ease the situation.

She didn't say anything, and Sora finally sighed.

"Ariel look." He said pointing to the sky.

"What about it?" She said, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Don't you find it a little weird that the sky has turned blood red and that I suddenly turn against the worlds that I fought so hard to protect, not once but twice?" He asked her.

Ariel thought about it, but remained steadfast.

"Stranger things have happened; until a few years ago, I didn't know such things as heartless existed." She said.

"Ariel…look…I'm probably not going to change your mind, but I will tell you this: I would never harm Kairi…not in a million years." He said in a very serious tone.

"Look, I need to get out of here, because something bad is going on, and I need to find out what's causing it. Now, you don't want me here and that's fine, but we can both get something out of this. I can get out of here and figure out what's going on, and you can get me off of this world." Sora offered.

Ariel thought about that statement long and hard. After a few minutes she finally eased her stance and turned and picked up the young girl. She turned back to Sora.

"Okay, as long as you leave and never come back, I will help you." Ariel said firmly.

"Deal." Sora said.

Ariel began to walk along the shore, with the small girl in tow. Sora waded in the wake after her. After a few minutes of silence between the two, Sora finally broke the ice.

"So who is that?" He asked.

Ariel didn't say nothing, and Sora merely just turned back and looked ahead.

"This is Melody, my daughter." A flat statement came.

"Oh…congratulations." Sora said.

"So…do you have any idea how I'm supposed to get around those soldiers?" Sora asked.

"I'll think of something, it will be a bit difficult, as both King Triton and Prince Eric have their armies out looking for you." Ariel said.

"Yeah…the life of a celebrity..." Sora said putting his hands behind his head.

"I didn't know they considered criminals to be celebrities…" Ariel responded.

"It was sarcasm." Sora retorted.

Silence would follow for the next few minutes. Sora would continue to wade in the wake, while periodically stealing glances at Ariel. Melody caught Sora's stare at one point, and Sora made a funny face which caused her to giggle. Ariel turned to Sora, and caught the funny face. Sora quickly assumed a normal look, but saw that Ariel had started to smile. Sora made another funny face to which Melody broke out into full on laughter. Ariel also laughed lightly, while trying to maintain a serious face, but eventually just broke out into a big smile.

"I think I may have doubted you wrongly Sora." Ariel said finally.

"Gee you think?" Sora said while grinning.

"We need to get you out of here, or else you are going to be in big trouble with both Eric and my father." Ariel said.

Suddenly Ariel stopped, and a big smile formed on her face.

"I think I just thought of a plan!" She exclaimed.

_A Few Hours Later: _

The soldiers stood guard outside the gummi ship while Riku watched every movement, in hopes that it was Sora. The sounds of footsteps approaching the group, put every soldier on alert. They eased when they saw that Ariel was who was running up to them.

"HELP!" She cried out.

She reached the soldiers, and stopped to catch her breath. Her face was puffy, as if she had been crying recently.

"MELODY…SORA HAS MY BABY!" She cried out and fell to the ground weeping.

Riku stood up and tore past her, with the soldiers closely behind. Ariel cried out after them to find her baby, and once they were out of sight, she waved to the ocean. Sora rose from beneath the waves and dolphin kicked his way over to the ship. Ariel quickly raced after the soldiers. The soldiers meanwhile were looking all over the beach, until one of them found Melody crying by the wall. Ariel came running up and clutched her child, as the child wept more. She thanked them all and watched as they went off further with Riku looking for Sora. Melody continued to cry; as they walked off.

"Okay Melody, that's enough." Ariel said softly.

Melody suddenly stopped crying, and giggled a little bit. Ariel laughed lightly and hugged her daughter close.

"That's my girl!" She said, kissing her daughter on the forehead.

The two of them walked back towards the castle giggling at the fast one they had just pulled on the guards. The soldiers searched down the beach for Sora, before they gave up and walked back towards the ship, but were stunned to find it gone. Riku took a bit of time to get back, as he was still looking for Sora, but he was enraged to find out that Sora had outsmarted him again.

_Back at Maleficent's Castle:_

"YOU BLITHERING IDIOTS!" Maleficent roared, as she killed several heartless, and watched as others quickly got out of sight.

The green flames shot up from Maleficent as she seethed over the escaped prisoners.

"I can't believe they escaped." She said angrily.

Ankoku nodded in agreement.

"Yes I don't like it either, but does it really matter? We disabled the H.W.S. so they can't call off the search for Sora, and by now the darkness has all but consumed Riku, to the point that he only cares about killing Sora, and to top it all off the Keyblade Master lacks his Keyblade! So really, does it matter?" Ankoku pointed out.

"The King is very resourceful, and with him out there, and with the knowledge that he possesses he could become a major thorn in our side!" Maleficent said.

"True, but only if he finds Sora, can we truly be stopped." Ankoku pointed out.

"I see your point Ankoku, but I would still feel much better to have them all locked up." Maleficent said.

Ankoku nodded, and rubbed his scar.

"So what is the situation?" he asked.

Maleficent pulled herself together and walked over to a live map of the worlds.

"As you can see, Wonderland has come under the spell of the darkness, and it looks like that pathetic old Prince and his castle are going to be succumbing to it soon, as will Neverland. The King and his lackeys are in Twilight Town I don't doubt, along with the comatose princess, and Sora is still out there being chased by Riku." Maleficent stated.

Ankoku grinned.

"See! And you were worried! We are in complete control! We have four worlds under siege by darkness, and soon we'll have two more! The Keyblade Master is doomed, as is the universe! So quit your worrying!" Ankoku said waving her off.

"Don't be a fool! The mere fact that Sora is still alive presents a great enough problem! Pile on the fact that the King is free, and we could be dealing with trouble!" Maleficent snapped.

Ankoku laughed as he left the room.

"You are just a paranoid old witch!" He called back to her.

Maleficent watched him leave with an annoyed look on her face.

"The fool! He doesn't realize the danger they both bring, especially should the boy regain his Keyblade." She said.

Maleficent walked over to a monitor and turned it on. The hooded figure popped up on the screen in front of her.

"I have new instructions for you! I need you to find out where Sora is, and keep me informed on his whereabouts!" She ordered.

The figure nodded and Maleficent turned it off. She turned it on again and entered in some new buttons. This time Pete's face appeared on screen.

"Pete! I need you to keep a firm watch on the castle should the King and his lackeys show up!" She said.

"Yes sir Maleficent! I mean…yes your nastiness, I mean uh…" Pete stumbled.

Maleficent just rolled her eyes and shut the machine off. She walked over to a chair and sat down. She looked at the map, and watched as the black fog, began to make contact with Prince Adam's Castle. She sneered a bit, as she though of all the pain and suffering that would soon befall the world, but she was equally concerned over the lingering presence of both Sora, and the King. She sat and pondered over these matters, while Ankoku was in the other room, seemingly plotting his own plans. Whatever he was thinking about drew a sick smile to his scarred face.

**End of Chapter 13**

**End of Part One **

_And that ends Part One of this story. I tried to make it so that everyone is prepping for the second part of the book, which will kick off with Chapter 14, which will be done, hopefully before the weekend lets out. We have Sora, who has regained much of his courage, but still lacks a little due to Kairi's condition. Riku is becoming more and more possessed, Ankoku and Maleficent's plan is in effect, but the escape of the King makes Maleficent a little weary. I hope you guys are ready, because the next half of the story will get even better! See you!_


	14. Yo ho Yo ho A Pirate's Life for Me

_Sorry for the delay everyone…this one took quite a while and this was a busy weekend for me. Now I will offer a warning, this chapter contains spoilers for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. So if you haven't seen it…for shame for not seeing a good movie, and also maybe you might want to just go to the end of the chapter and read that. _

_Now some may get ticked at me for the shoddy way that I did Pirates 3 but hear me out. I have very limited resources as it pertained to Pirates 3, and aside from seeing the movie 8 times and writing everything down, I feel that I did the best I could. I also am going to hide behind the fact that this is a Kingdom Hearts storyline, so it can be different than the actual movie. If you're so mad that you want to see a really well done adaptation, wait until my friend Shire Folk does one. _

_Now…I don't own any of the following characters except Dr. Rogers and Ankoku. _

_Enjoy!_

**Part Two:**

**Chapter 14: Yo ho...Yo ho...A Pirate's Life for Me**

The sea was calm, as a large ship cruised out on the open sea. The word _Endeavor _was written in large letters across the ship's bow, and the ship was quiet for the most part, as the crew was sleeping below the deck. One room still had its candles lit, and if one were to look in through the window, they would see a few shadows moving around. The shadows belonged to two men: William Turner and Lord Cutler Beckett. William, or Will as friends knew him, was sitting quite comfortably in Beckett's quarters while enjoying a glass of brandy. He was a dashing young man, with mid-length dark hair, and a touch of facial hair. His clothes were nothing fancy, as he came from no royal bloodline, and before his excursions alongside one Captain Jack Sparrow, he was a simple blacksmith. Lord Cutler Beckett was the antithesis of Will Turner. He was dressed in the latest fashions of the English season, and wore rather expensive uniforms, fitting of his high post. He too held a glass of brandy in his hand, and was trying to piece together everything that a third entrant in the room was telling him.

"So what you are telling me…is that the most dangerous criminal in the worlds has made his way here." Beckett asked.

"Yes." A figure in the corner of the room stated.

Beckett considered this, before turning to the person.

"Well Mr…" He said before trailing off.

"The name is Riku." he replied as Riku stepped foreword into the light.

Beckett smiled and nodded.

"Yes, well…as much as I would enjoy helping you, we have far more pressing matters on our hands." He said before turning to Will.

Riku looked angry, but elected not to say anything, and pulled out his small tracking device and turned it on.

"Now, Mr. Turner, you said that you can provide the whereabouts to the meeting place of the nine pirate lords?" He asked.

"That I can Lord Beckett, as I have the compass." Will said producing the small black object.

Beckett's eyes shined as he saw the compass. He reached out to take it from Will, but Will pulled it back.

"So long as you agree to my terms." He said bluntly.

Beckett looked at him and smiled.

"But of course." He replied.

Will tossed the compass to him, and he caught it and opened it. He looked at the wildly spinning dial, and watched it slowly but surely come to a stop. Beckett looked with confusion at the dial, as it pointed straight towards Riku.

"This can't be…the last of your trail was floating in the direction that we were heading…unless…" Beckett stated while looking at Riku's device.

"What is that device?" He said to Riku.

"This is a tracking device that allows me follow Sora." Riku said bluntly.

Beckett looked at the compass, and then back at Riku's device. A thin smile formed on his mouth.

"Well Mr. Riku…I feel a change in the winds…perhaps there is a way that we can help each other out…" He said.

Riku eyed him before a smile came over his face and he started to laugh. Beckett soon joined in, and they continued to laugh until one of the guards came into the room.

"Lord Beckett…Davy Jones is demanding to see you." He said.

Beckett's eyes rolled and he looked at his two guests.

"If you will excuse me…" He said before he heard a crash and his guard fell to the floor.

The three men looked at the doorway to see a figure with a squid-like face, decked out in a captain's hat and other pirate garb. His tentacles were moving all over, and he glared at Beckett. Beckett got over the initial shock of the sudden intrusion and forced a small smile.

"Ah…Davy Jones…to what do I owe the pleasure?" He said.

_Meanwhile:_

"So what's this world like?" Roxas asked Sora, as the gummi ship sailed over miles of endless blue ocean.

"It's filled with pirates." Sora said, looking for any speck of land that he could find.

Roxas's eyes lit up as he heard this.

"Pirates? Like real pirates? Like Long John Silver and Blackbeard?" Roxas said excitedly.

"Yep." Sora replied.

"SWEET!!!" Roxas exclaimed.

"Not really, these guys can't be trusted; they will turn on you like that." Sora warned, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

Roxas paid little attention to this warning, as he was thinking of all the cool things that he would see in this world. Sora sighed and continued his way towards Port Royal.

"Man how long is it going to take to get there?" Sora thought to himself. 

The ship continued to fly along over the ocean depths, with Sora keeping an eye out for any sign of Port Royal. He looked up at the sky, and noticed that it wasn't red like it was in Atlantica. He wondered why that was as he continued his search. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a large fleet of ships, headed in the same direction as he was.

"Hmmm…" Sora said looking at the fleet.

He flew along before he came upon a large cave jutting out of the water. As he approached the object he noticed quite a few ships docked around the object, one of which he recognized.

"The Black Pearl!" Sora cried out.

Roxas was still day dreaming about pirates, but Sora's outcry put him back in reality.

"Did you just say fat earl?" Roxas asked.

Sora rolled his eyes and laughed a little.

"No the Black Pearl, it's the pirate ship that I was on the last time I was here, and if it's here that means that Jack is here!" Sora exclaimed.

Roxas looked confused.

"Who?" He asked.

"Jack Sparrow, _Captain _Jack Sparrow, I should probably say; he's the pirate that I fought alongside with when I was here last." Sora told him.

Roxas got a big grin.

"Pirate? Well why didn't you say so! Let's go stop in and say hi!" Roxas said.

Sora laughed a little and prepared the ship for landing. He set down on the rocky shore of the large rock, and exited the ship. He looked and saw a large opening, and slowly began walking into the cave. As he delved deeper into the cave, the sounds of voices chattering and arguing became louder and louder. He came upon a staircase, and slowly crept down. He saw a large table, filled with people, some sitting, but most standing. He didn't recognize many of the faces, but there was one that he caught. The man had long stringy hair, and a big black hat.

"Barbossa!" He said to himself.

He watched with curiosity, as everyone seemed to be very impatient; waiting for something to start. Roxas meanwhile was having difficulty containing himself. He was seemingly inching closer and closer, trying to get a better view. Sora saw that Roxas was getting a little too close for his liking and Sora tried to get him to come back out of view. He was having little effect, and eventually one of the lackeys spotted Roxas.

"INTRUDERS!" He yelled.

In a matter of seconds, Sora had several sharp swords thrust at his throat. Roxas quickly went back inside Sora. Numerous shouts came up about what to do with him. The ideas ranged from death to torture, and none really sat well with Sora. Suddenly a group of people were thrust aside, and Sora recognized Barbossa slowly walk up to him.

"You! What are you doing here?" Barbossa demanded to know.

"I came to find Jack Sparrow!" Sora shouted defiantly.

Murmurs ran through the throng of people; Barbossa stared intently at Sora. Finally he turned around and shouted over the heads of the people.

"Jack! You got someone here to see ya!" He yelled.

The group of people split, and Sora saw Jack come out of a room.

"What's all the racket…?" Jack started before he stopped and stared. He made his way up closer to Sora, and looked him over. He started poking him to see if he was real or not.

"Jack stop it!" Sora stated.

Jack pulled his finger back and stroked his beard. A sly grin came over his face.

"Zola! What brings you to these waters?" He asked.

"It's Sora." Sora said correcting him.

"Ah…" Jack said and merely walked away.

He turned back around and saw that the swords were once again at Sora's neck. Jack ran up raising his arms frantically.

"No, no, it's alright he's not an enemy, just a poor, stupid, cousin's uncle's son that I know; completely harmless!" Jack explained.

The pirates all looked at each other and then back at Captain Barbossa, who hadn't taken his eyes off Sora.

"You might as well listen to him, as we have much greater things t'be worrying about." He said.

The rest of the pirates slowly lowered their weapons. Sora breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to Jack.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"A meeting of the nine Pirate Lords mate. We're here to discuss the course of action to be taken regarding Davy Jones and the British Navy." Jack explained.

"What?" Sora asked.

Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. He explained to Sora everything that had happened since his last visit, from Flying Dutchman, to the Kraken and his "death"; he explained the many whereabouts of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, and the various schemes that went on. How he was in the locker for so long, and how they got to this point. To Sora it got a little confusing and had some difficulty keeping up. (Author's Note: And How! Oh come on! Despite how good it was you gotta admit that Pirates 3 was very confusing!) Jack saw that Sora was struggling to grasp all this information.

"Look at it this way: the British Navy now controls the seas, and they are trying to wipe out all the pirates. We are having this meeting to determine what course of action we should take. The meeting was held as Barbossa planned to release the goddess Calypso, and hopefully have her wreck havoc but that wasn't really a good idea in everyone's mind. So now we are trying to figure another course of action, and are still waiting for the ninth pirate lord. Savvy?" Jack said.

"Okay, I think I get it. So why hasn't the ninth lord shown up?" Sora asked.

"No one knows, but he's been taking his time." Barbossa said coming up from behind the two.

He looked down at Sora, and smiled a bit.

"I hope that we can put all that unpleasantness behind us." He said extending his hand.

Sora didn't shake it, and instead locked eyes with Barbossa.

"Sorry, I don't really trust pirates that much." He said firmly.

The room and Barbossa erupted in laughter.

"That's a fine policy to have there lad!" Barbossa said, and turned and walked back to the head of the table.

"Where is Sao Feng!?" One of the pirate lords cried out.

The rest of the people began to grumble as well, before a new voice interrupted them all.

"Sao Feng is dead!" A female voice declared.

Everyone turned to the staircase to see a young woman walk down the steps, wearing what appeared to be a pirate's garment. Sora recognized her immediately.

"Elizabeth!" He shouted.

She turned to him and let out a small gasp.

"Sora! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Never mind that! Who is the replacement?" One of the lords shouted out.

Elizabeth regained her composure and turned to the Pirate Lords.

"I am!" She said firmly.

A hundred voices rang up at once, shouting out phrases of dismay, shock, and outrage. Jack and Sora stood with their jaws open.

"He made you captain!?" Jack finally blurted out.

Eventually order was restored and the meeting got underway. Sora watched with fascination as each lord shouted out his or her own ideas, and what they felt should be done. He watched Barbossa and Elizabeth battle back and forth, with Barbossa still pushing his plan, and Elizabeth pushing towards battle. Jack meanwhile was stirring the room all the while, using his cunning and cleverness to bend the room to his way. Still a stalemate occurred. Eventually a vote was called for, as they needed to elect a new pirate king. An older man came out of the room where Jack was earlier, and sat down, seemingly to monitor the situation. Sora noticed a look of uneasiness on Jack face, as the man came down. He pulled out a small guitar and began strumming along as he sat down. Sora overheard Barbossa explaining to Elizabeth that the reason they never can elect a king is because everyone always votes for themselves. Sora watched as the vote unfolded, and sure enough everyone voted for themselves. Elizabeth, seeing that it was hopeless, voted for herself as well. The vote came to Jack, and he got a sly grin on his face.

"Elizabeth Swann." He said.

Again the room went in uproar.

"I will not bow down to her!" One of the lords rang out.

"You mean you'd willingly break the code?" Jack said, feigning shock.

The man that had been monitoring the vote stopped playing his guitar and shot the lord a death glare. The lord quickly sat down and all eyes were on Elizabeth.

"Well your majesty? What say you?" Jack asked.

Elizabeth took a look around the room, and remained steadfast in her decision.

"We fight!" She screamed, and the rest of the pirate lords shouted their approval.

Barbossa put up a little resistance, but was drowned out by battle cries. As people piled out of the cave, Jack walked over and talked with the man who was monitoring the situation. Sora meanwhile raced over to Elizabeth and began conversing with her.

"Sora! What are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm on the run from Riku; I'm being framed for attempted murder and high treason!" Sora said quickly.

"That's awful! Although, you aren't alone, Will and I are also considered traitors." Elizabeth said.

"Yeah, Jack told me about all that…" Sora said.

Barbossa walked up to the duo.

"Come on! We need to get back to the Pearl." He urged.

"Yes let's get going!" Jack said quickly as he walked up to them.

They went out of the cave, and all the pirates boarded their respective ships. Sora quickly made his way up to the Black Pearl along with Jack, Elizabeth and Barbossa.

"I can't believe I'm on a pirate ship!" Roxas said from inside of Sora.

"Yeah yeah, settle down Roxas." Sora replied.

Sora watched as one of the crewmen from one of the ships took one of the small boats, and began rowing to the massive fleet that Sora had witnessed earlier. Sora walked over to Jack.

"What is he doing?" Sora asked.

"Evoking the right of parley." Jack replied.

"Ah…" Sora said, remembering what it meant, as Elizabeth had informed him of it once.

They sat around and waited for a good hour before their man returned from the fleet. Jack, Barbossa, and Elizabeth went to hear what he had to say, and then almost simultaneously turned and looked at Sora, who got an uneasy feeling from the stares.

"What?" He asked nervously.

"They've agreed to the term of parlay…but only if you attend." Elizabeth said nervously.

"How would they know that I was with you?" Sora asked.

"That's a good question mate." Jack said eyeing Sora intently.

"Well however they know…it's of little importance now, so let's meet with them." Barbossa said.

They all piled into a long boat, and made their way to a small sand drift that jutted off the coast of a nearby island. They disembarked and made their way towards the center, and saw four figures walking towards them. They recognized two figures as Lord Cutler Beckett, and to Jack's dismay, Davy Jones. The other two were big surprises. Elizabeth was shocked that Will Turner was with them, and Sora was shocked that Riku was also with them. Riku bore a hole into Sora's eyes, and Sora stared right back at him, grimly realizing that Riku was how they found out where he was. Riku drew his Keyblade, but Beckett was quick to urge him to sheath it. Beckett looked up and smiled.

"Well, what terms do you wish to propose?" Beckett said.

Elizabeth and Will were eying each other, seemingly speaking to each other through their minds. A small smirk formed over her face.

"A trade. Will for Jack." She said.

Jack looked at her with wide eyes and Barbossa smiled. Jack turned back to them and quickly changed his expression. He grinned at the foursome.

"Heh, good one love! But there's no way that they would…"

"Done!" Beckett said cutting Jack off.

Jack started to protest, but Davy Jones quickly grabbed him. Sora noticed Barbossa grab something off of Jack before he went to their side. Jack looked at Jones who looked back at him with anger in his eyes. Jack smiled nervously at him.

"We request that it be a one on one battle between the Black Pearl and The Flying Dutchman!" Barbossa said.

"Agreed…IF…you hand over Sora." Beckett said.

Riku smiled evilly, and Sora's eyes hardened. Elizabeth looked she was going to protest, but Barbossa spoke first.

"Agreed."

Sora shot a shocked look at Barbossa, and Elizabeth did as well. Riku drew his Keyblade and walked towards Sora. Elizabeth quickly got in his way, and Riku attempted to strike her, but it was blocked by Will's blade. Beckett quickly grabbed Riku and pulled him back.

"Really now! One does not harm someone under the protection of parlay!" He said.

"Cutler Beckett!" Elizabeth said drawing his attention.

"I want a guarantee that Sora will not be harmed until the end of the battle!" She said.

Beckett thought about it for a second.

"Agreed." He said.

Riku looked enraged at Beckett. They all began to walk off towards their respective ships. Riku walked right up alongside Beckett and gave him a tongue-lashing.

"This wasn't our deal!" Riku said.

"Our deal was that I would help you capture Sora, and turn him over to you, but I never specified when. Rest assured Mr. Riku, you will get Sora, as soon as the battle is over. In the meantime I suggest you get that unusual blade of yours ready, as there is a battle taking place." He said.

Riku seemed miffed, but relented. Sora looked at Jack who stared back at him. Jack shrugged at Sora, who was trying to think of a way out of this. They rowed them back to the Flying Dutchman. Sora looked at the ship, and recoiled at the slime that was seemingly everywhere. As he boarded the ship, he looked at the crew, who were horrible fish-like creatures. They were taken below decks where they were thrown into a moldy old cell. The rest of them went above deck, where they would prepare for battle. Sora looked at Jack.

"So do you have a plan?" He asked.

"Let me get on that mate…" Jack said trailing off as he began to look at his ear, and then around the room at various points in time.

Jack started to have conversations with himself, which really started to weird Sora out.

"I shouldn't be too surprised though…this is Jack Sparrow we're talking about…" He said to himself.

"I like him; he's silly!" Roxas said to Sora.

"Shut up Roxas." Sora said.

Outside, the two sides began preparations for battle. A failed attempt by Barbossa to release the goddess Calypso brought with it a terrible maelstrom, with made battle conditions even more difficult. A gigantic whirlpool opened up in front of the two ships, to which both Barbossa and Davy Jones had no problems entering. At this point the battle was under way. Back on the ship, Jack was sitting down, and muttering to himself. It sounded to Sora like he was saying "think like Will" but he couldn't be certain. Suddenly Jack looked at the door, and at a broken plank piece. Sora watched in awe as he used it as sort of a fulcrum, and was able to break down the door to the cell. Jack turned back to Sora.

"We better get going mate…" Jack said as he raced off.

Sora looked around and found a discarded sword. He quickly grabbed it and got himself focused. He took a deep breath and raced up to the deck of the ship. Rain drenched him as he came up from the bowels of the ship. He looked and saw numerous people fighting. He quickly tried to maneuver his way towards the front of the ship, fighting off a few fish creatures with his sword. He looked up and saw Davy Jones and Jack doing battle up on the mast.

"Sora look out!" Roxas called.

A fish monster had sprung up behind him, and was poised to strike. Sora raised his sword for defense, but the fish let out a loud cry and fell to the ground dead. Sora stared at the carcass and then looked ahead. Riku stood there staring at him.

"You're mine Sora Hakiri." He said, while the rain cleansed his blood soaked Keyblade.

Sora locked eyes with him and drew a battle stance.

"I don't want to do this Riku…you're my best friend!" Sora said.

"You should have thought of that before you hurt Kairi!" Riku shouted back.

"I would never hurt her!" Sora screamed.

"Enough talk!" Riku said lunging for Sora.

Sora did a quick back flip and used the sword to block Riku's attacks. Sora was not really fighting back a whole lot, only going on the offensive when he needed a breather. Riku was being very aggressive while Sora opted for the conservative approach. Riku took a horizontal slice, but Sora jumped over it and took a swipe at Riku's back. Riku was able to get out of the way and fire back with a few more shots of his own, which were dodged by Sora. Riku grew impatient and began to really take it to Sora, which put Sora on the ropes. Sora backed up towards the edge of the ship, and a beautiful counter slash by Riku took away Sora's blade. Sora backed up against the rail of the ship as Riku closed in for the kill.

"It's all over for you Sora!" Riku said bringing the sword above his head.

"Hey Riku!" a voice yelled behind him.

Riku turned around quickly, but only found Roxas standing there. Roxas waved and Riku turned back to face Sora, but he was not there. Riku felt himself being lifted up by his legs, and before he knew it he was falling off the ship. He quickly concentrated his energy, and formed a small portal and quickly vanished into it. Sora watched this and sighed. He turned around and looked at the ship. Most of the people were still fighting, but he saw that Elizabeth and Will were on the ship, with Davy Jones holding a long sword, towering over them. He saw Jack with a knife in his hand, and a small object in his other hand, but he seemed unsure about what to do. Sora quickly raced up to the ship, but stopped and watched in horror as Davy Jones plunged the blade into Will's chest.

"WILL!" Sora cried out, and raced up.

Another man quickly jumped on Davy Jones and began fighting with him, while screaming "My son!" Sora raced over to Jack and Elizabeth who were knelt down beside the slowly dying Will Turner. Sora looked and realized that Jack had a heart in his hand. Jack watched Will slowly slip away, and made a decision. He placed the small knife in Will's hand and closed it. He then drove it into the heart and looked at Davy Jones. Davy Jones stopped and turned slowly back to face Jack. He looked like a ghost for a moment, and clutched where his heart would be. He slowly backed up and fell over the side of the ship to his death. The crew, who were all fighting no more than a minute ago, now were seemingly lost without their captain. They all turned to Will and began to converge upon him. Jack looked and saw that the ship was going down, and quickly grabbed Elizabeth and Sora, and made their way back to the Black Pearl, as they watched the Flying Dutchman go down. The Black Pearl then turned her direction towards the Endeavor, and began sailing towards her. Riku had ended up back on the deck of the Endeavor. He watched Beckett tell an officer not to open the cannons, which caught Riku with some surprise. He still stood ready, as he wanted another shot at Sora. To both Riku and Beckett's surprise, the Flying Dutchman rose from the depths, this time with Will at the helm. Beckett's face turned white. Riku watched as he began muttering "it was good business" to himself over and over as the two ships converged on him. The other officers were abandoning ship as quickly as they could. Riku sighed and quickly dove off the ship. He began swimming as far away as he could. He turned and watched the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman destroy the Endeavor. A great celebration went up as the pirates watched the fleet turn tail and run away. Sora looked over the edge of the ship and saw Riku floating there. He quickly went and found on of the small boats. He used a sword and cut the ropes.

"HEY RIKU!!!" Sora called out as the boat fell.

Riku watched it fall and quickly swam over and got into the ship. He looked up at Sora, seemingly conflicted before shaking it off.

"I'll get you Sora!" He shouted.

Riku began to row away, and Sora turned away from him. Roxas popped out of him and stared at him.

"Sora! That was downright decent of you!" He said.

"Hey he's still my friend, even though he's gone crazy…" Sora said defending his actions.

He turned towards the rest of the crew and looked at the celebration. The only non-celebratory person was Elizabeth, whose eyes were locked with Will's, who stood on the Flying Dutchman. Mr. Gibbs, Jack's first mate, came up to Sora, and saw what he was looking at.

"Aye tis a shame. He gets but one day every ten years to see her; a fine thing to hear on the day of your wedding." He said.

Sora looked at him.

"They got married?" Sora asked with shock.

"Aye that they did, in the midst of battle, Captain Barbossa married em. Aye it's a darn shame, but that be the fate of the captain of the Flying Dutchman…now excuse me…I'm trying to find Jack's hat." He said, before scurrying off looking for the hat.

Sora watched Elizabeth and Will and pictured himself in the same predicament. Roxas came up to Sora, and joined him in looking at the sad sight.

"It sucks Roxas, they love each other but they only get to see each other once…I mean how bad would it be? Imagine if you couldn't see Naminé for 10 years." Sora said to him.

"Or if you couldn't see Kairi…" Roxas said.

Sora's head drooped. Elizabeth walked slowly over to them. Sora perked his head up and tried to smile at her. She smiled back at him.

"Will and I are going to spend some time together and Captain Barbossa said that he was going to drop you off at Shipwreck Cove, so I guess this is goodbye!" She said rather cheerfully.

Sora was confused.

"Elizabeth…how can you handle not being able to see each other for ten years?" Sora asked.

Elizabeth smiled at him.

"Sora, up until twenty minutes ago, I never thought I would see him again. Now I have been given a second chance. Yes it will be hard, but that just means that we're going to have to make each day that much more special." She said warmly.

Sora thought about that and smiled.

"Yeah I gotcha…" He said.

Elizabeth hugged him, and waved goodbye to him. Sora thought about what she said.

"She's right Roxas…from now on I will make sure that I cherish Kairi, every single day. The first thing that I'm gonna do when this is all over is tell her how I feel about her." He said.

Roxas smiled at him.

"That's my boy!"

A few hours later, they arrived back at Shipwreck Cove. Sora said goodbye to the crew and Jack Sparrow.

"Where are you going too now?" Sora asked.

"Barbossa and I are going to head back to Tortuga, and from there we will head off on a new quest to find the Fountain of Youth mate." Jack stated.

"Alright Jack, well stay out of trouble!" Sora said.

"You're forgetting one very important thing mate...I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" He said, while walking off.

Sora laughed and turned to Barbossa.

"I still don't trust you, but you have some good in you, and I appreciate all that you did." Sora stated extending his hand.

Barbossa laughed at Sora, and shook his hand.

"I'm still a pirate, so don't forget it boy." Barbossa stated.

Sora got off the ship and watched them depart. He got back on the gummi ship, and fired up the engines. The ship flew off into the evening sky.

_Back in Twilight Town:_

Mickey and the gang were sitting in the waiting room of the Twilight Town hospital, monitoring the situation with Kairi as well as with the Eternal Void. Donald and Goofy were playing cards while Minnie and Naminé were reading a magazine. Suddenly, the doors opened and Dr. Rogers came out with a rather large smile on his face. Everyone stopped what they were doing and crowded around the doctor.

"I might as well break the news…she just woke up." He stated.

A cheer went up in the waiting room.

"So…who wants to see her?" He said.

While everyone did, it was agreed that Mickey and Naminé would be the first to see her, as he needed information on Sora, and Naminé was essentially a sister to her. They followed the doctor back to Kairi's room. They walked in the small room and Naminé raced up to Kairi's bedside. Mickey followed and saw that she was still attached to a couple machines.

"Kairi! You're okay!" She exclaimed.

Kairi gave off a faint smile, and looked around the room.

"Where's…Sora?" She asked.

Naminé looked at Mickey.

"Actually that's what we wanted to know from you Kairi…can you find out where he is?" Mickey asked.

Kairi focused her thoughts, but quickly came out of the trance. She looked up at Mickey and shook her head.

"I'm sorry…but I don't feel strong enough…is Sora okay?" She asked growing worried.

"He's fine Kairi…I think you need to get some rest." Mickey said.

"Naminé…stay with me…" Kairi said.

Naminé looked at Mickey who nodded in approval. Mickey walked back outside to the waiting room. Kairi looked at her friend.

"What's really going on?" Kairi asked Naminé.

Naminé looked nervously around the room, and saw only Dr. Rogers. She quickly went inside Kairi, and told her everything that had happened while she was out. Kairi's expression went from one of concern, to full on worry. Naminé popped back out of Kairi, and Kairi stared at her friend with fear.

"I have to help him!" Kairi said, while trying to get up.

"No Kairi, you are not healthy enough to go anywhere." Dr. Rogers said firmly.

Kairi began to protest, but Naminé was quick to console her friend.

"Kairi it's ok…I'm sure he's fine…I mean he did save the worlds twice." She stated.

"But you know the frame of mind that he was in!" Kairi screamed.

She began to claw at her restraints, and Dr. Rogers quickly walked up and injected a small needle into Kairi. She slowly began to stop clawing, and she went back to sleep. Naminé looked at Dr. Rogers with a worried expression.

"It's okay Naminé that was just a small sedative. She will be fine in an hour; she just needed to relax; if she would have continued to fight like that she could have seriously hurt herself." Dr. Rogers said reassuringly.

Naminé nodded.

"Can I stay with her?" She asked.

"Sure, now I need to go check on a few more patients." Dr. Rogers said, exiting the room.

Naminé turned her attention back to her peacefully sleeping friend.

"Get better soon Kairi…for Sora's sake" She whispered.

Mickey entered the waiting room, and was immediately surrounded by everyone. Mickey looked at the expectant faces, but his grimace bore bad news for them.

"She wasn't strong enough to find him…" Mickey informed them.

Everyone's faces drooped. Donald looked at Mickey.

"So what do we do now?" He asked.

"We wait…it's all we can do…but we need her better quickly, because time is of the essence." Mickey said, as he looked at the sky, which thankfully was still its normal color.

"But for how long…?" Mickey thought to himself.

**End of Chapter 14**

_Well there it is! I hope you liked it! That was the longest chapter that I ever did, and I hope that I started off part two with a big enough bang for you. I will get chapter 15 up hopefully by Wednesday or Thursday and then maybe chapter 16 by the weekend. Later!_


	15. Everyone Hail to the Pumpkin King

Hey everyone! Thanks for the support on the last chapter! This one is a shortie but a goodie, as Sora and Roxas enter Halloween Town!

_Again I don't own any of the following characters!_

**Chapter 15: Everyone Hail to the Pumpkin King **

"Dude this place is weird…" Roxas said as he looked out the window of the gummi ship.

"Oh yeah? Maybe you should take a look at yourself." Sora responded.

Roxas looked down at his body. His shorts and tee were gone, and chains adorned his new ragged pants. A black executioner mask was over his face, and there was a large gash across his chest. He was shocked at first, and looked at Sora. He noticed that Sora was different as well, wearing gothic styled clothes, and an orange pumpkin on the left side of his face. The shackles that still sat on his wrists actually looked good when added with the outfit.

"Awesome!" Roxas said as a smile came over his face.

Sora laughed as he took the ship over a graveyard and then set it down gently along a spooky looking path. Sora walked to the door and down the steps. Roxas followed and was amazed by what he saw. The whole area was dark and gloomy, complete with dead trees and grass. He looked ahead to see a rusted gate, and beyond it lay several houses, that looked old and beaten down. Beyond that was an oddly shaped hill that looked like a curled up finger, and behind it was a large yellow moon. He heard some singing coming from the town and floated over to investigate. Sora laughed and walked up alongside him, into the town. Roxas stood with his mouth agape as he watched the spectacle before him. Ghouls and other ghastly creatures were singing and dancing around a large fountain. Sora walked up and smiled at the spectacle.

"Roxas…welcome to Halloween Town!" Sora said to his friend.

_Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?_

_Come with us and you will see…this our town of Halloween!_

_This is Halloween…This is Halloween…Pumpkins scream in the dead of night! _

_This is Halloween…Everybody make a scene…Trick or Treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright!_

_It's our town! Everybody scream! In this town of Halloween!_

Roxas and Sora walked along the singing creatures, with Roxas looking in amazement at all the cool stuff that he was seeing for the first time.

"So who are we looking for?" Roxas said loudly, trying to be heard over the loud singing.

"The Pumpkin King." Sora said, while waving to some of the people that he remembered.

"Where is he at?" Roxas asked looking around.

"He'll be here soon enough." Sora said.

The villagers continued the song.

_This is Halloween... everyone scream!_

_Won't ya please make way for a very special guy…_

_Our man Jack is King of the Pumpkin Patch, Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now…_

_This is Halloween, This is Halloween…halloween…halloween…Halloween! Halloween!_

_In this town we call home…everyone hail to the pumpkin song!_

Suddenly, a tall figure emerged from beneath the water of the fountain, as if there was an elevator underneath him. Roxas watched as the tall skeleton rose from the depths, and how all the creatures fawned over him. Everyone cheered and began clapping, the skeleton waved to the crowd, and then stopped when he looked over in their direction. A big smile formed over his face, and he rushed towards them.

"Sora! It's so good to see you again! How are you doing?" He said shaking Sora's hand.

"I've been better Jack…" Sora said, while smiling.

Jack nodded.

"Yes I heard about those unfortunate rumors involving you and the King." Jack said.

A woman, that looked like a doll brought to life walked up to them and gave Sora a quick hug.

"How are you Sally? …or should I say…Queen of Halloween?" Sora asked.

Sally laughed lightly.

"Sally will do just fine." She said, before turning to Roxas.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met!" She said.

"I'm Roxas…a friend of Sora's!" He said.

"Ah! Well I am Sally, and this is my husband Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween." She said.

"Tell me fellows…how long are you in town for?" Jack inquired.

"Well…we're kinda on the run from my friend Riku, so we need a place to hide out for a little bit, especially since I haven't slept in days." Sora informed him.

"Well consider this an official proclamation…as long as you are here you are under royal protection! Also I will make arrangements for you in our guest quarters at our new home!" Jack said, while pointing towards a large hill.

Sora and Roxas looked at the large manor that Jack pointed to, and were a little frightened by the appearance of it. Sora and Roxas looked at each other, and then shrugged.

"That's sounds great Jack…" Sora said uneasily.

"Then it's settled! Come fellows!" Jack said as he led the way through a throng of people.

Sora and Roxas followed Sally through another set of gates, and up the long narrow path towards the manor. The black manor seemed to lord over them as they made their way up the steps and to the door. Jack enthusiastically pushed Sora towards the door, and inside the house. Sora looked at the main room, and was actually shocked to see that it really wasn't that bad. Sure it was dark and rather gloomy, but when compared to what the two of them were expecting, it wasn't that bad.

"Nice place!" Roxas said.

"You think so?" Jack asked with some surprise.

"I thought it wasn't scary enough, but Sally insisted that it was fine…if you really want to be scared though…I can show you the basement!" Jack said, with his eyes lighting up.

"Maybe some other time Jack…" Sora said.

"Oh…okay…" He said sounding a little disappointed.

"I'd like to see it!" Roxas said with a gleam in his eye.

Sora looked at him with awe, and Jack's face beamed.

"Great! Come on down!" He said as he enthusiastically led the way.

Sora laughed.

"I think those two hit it off rather well." He said to Sally.

"I guess so! Are you hungry at all Sora? I can make you a nice frogs breath stew!" She asked.

Sora's nose wrinkled at the sound of that.

"Maybe later, I'm actually kind of tired…" He said, yawning for emphasis.

Sally nodded.

"Here, I'll show you to your room." She said, as she walked up the stairs.

Sora followed her up the stairs and down a long hallway. She stopped in front of a door, and turned the knob. She opened the squeaky door, and Sora walked into the room. It was a rather lavish room, complete with a king-sized bed and several other sitting pieces. The wallpaper was a dark purple, and the bed had charcoal satin sheets, and a dark black comforter. It was a four post bed on black wood. There was a window with a gorgeous view of the moonlit hill.

"This is nice! Thanks a lot!" Sora said to Sally.

"There is a bathroom over there in the corner, so if you need to shower you can use it…also your clothes look a little dirty, if you would like I can have the maid wash them for you." Sally told him.

"Yeah that would be great!" Sora said.

"This is the room where the mayor will sometimes sleep when he comes over, so I hope you enjoy it!" She said with a smile.

"I will… thank you!" Sora said.

"Goodnight Sora." Sally said, and quietly exited the room.

"Goodnight!" Sora said as the door closed.

Sora sat down on the bed, and quickly took off his battle garb and shoes. He laid them outside the door, and quickly hopped into a shower, that he had needed for quite a while. After he was done he walked outside, and found a fresh pair of boxers, and pajamas for him. He quickly dried off and put on the fresh clothes. He quickly hopped into bed, and within a matter of minutes, he was out like a light for the first time in a while. Roxas came up to the room an hour later, fully frightened from the horrors of Jack's basement. He looked at the peacefully sleeping Sora, and a big smile broke out over his face.

"Finally!" He sighed as he quickly flew back into Sora for some well deserved rest.

Sora awoke the next morning feeling more refreshed, and much better than he had in a long time. He scratched his head and looked at the freshly laundered clothes that the maid had generously laid out for him. He got up and stretched. He walked over to the window and looked at the view. He had never seen Halloween town during the day, although one would term this the evening here, as he saw the sun setting. He looked down at the ground and saw something strange. Jack stood out front, and there were several undead soldiers around him. He looked at what they were talking too, and was shocked to see Riku standing in front of Jack.

"Riku!" Sora said with disbelief.

Roxas jumped out of Riku looking like a chicken that just learned a fox was spotted in the henhouse.

"Riku! Where!?" He cried.

"Shut up Roxas!" Sora said.

Sora dropped out of sight and opened the window enough so he might be able to hear what was going on. He was able to hear what was being said, and it appeared that he was catching the conversation halfway through.

"I'm telling you this: according the bylaws that were agreed upon during the last meeting; any person that is placed under the protection of a world leader, can not be harmed or taken unless specifically stated by said leader. Now, since I am that leader and I have placed Sora under that protection, you need to leave!" Jack told Riku.

"I refuse to leave until I get at Sora! I will take down every last one of your guards to get at him if I have too!" Riku said, producing his Keyblade.

"I should warn you, that blade will have no effect on my guards. They are not among the living as you can see, so therefore they can't be killed. No matter how much you wound them, they will still be alive!" Jack informed him.

"I don't believe you!" Riku said.

"See for yourself!" Jack said.

Riku took a huge hack at one of the guards arms, and watched the limb fall to the ground. The arm writhed around on the ground, and Riku grinned at Jack.

"So much for that!" Riku said with a gleam in his eye.

"Oh? You think so?" Jack said with a smirk.

Riku looked at Jack with a confused look, and turned to look back at he guard. He was shocked to find that the guard had both limbs, and the one that was on the ground, was nowhere to be found. Riku glared back at Jack, who laughed a little.

"You win this round, but rest assured Sora will be mine soon enough!" Riku said, sheathing his Keyblade.

Riku turned and walked back towards the town square, and Jack ordered his guards to stand at different posts around the manor. Sora closed the window and looked at Roxas.

"We can't stay here much longer…" Sora said.

"Yeah but we can't leave now, or else Riku will get us…" Roxas countered.

Sora thought about it for a second, before snapping his fingers.

"I got it…we'll leave tonight!" Sora said.

Roxas smiled.

"That way Riku won't know that we've left the world and it can give us a head start on him!" Sora explained.

"That sounds like a good plan to me!" Roxas said with enthusiasm.

"Good! Now stay out here for a bit, I gotta take a shower." Sora said as he got ready for the day ahead.

"I left a note, and if we did, we would alert them, and I don't want anyone hearing about this…" Sora responded.

Sora crept slowly down the sloping pathway, which led into town square. All was quiet in the town, with not a soul, living or dead, in sight. Sora crept along the outer wall and quickly exited the gate to where the ship was, and quickly got on the ship. He fired up the engine and quickly took off.

"Great plan Sora!" Roxas said.

Sora continued to navigate the ship as his clothes transformed from his nightmarish garb to his normal garb.

"Yeah it was a goodie…so where to nex-" Sora began before the ship rocked hard to the left.

Sora fell out of his chair, and quickly scrambled back into the seat and turned on the monitor, which brought up a picture of the ship with many different icons.

"We were hit!" Sora said as the ship rocked again.

Sora began to take evasive action as Roxas looked out the window to find out who was shooting at them. He looked and saw one of the king's gummi ships, and quickly realized who it was.

"IT'S RIKU!!!" Roxas screamed.

"What? How did he find us?" Sora said as he made the ship take a hard right.

_An hour earlier: _

Sora dropped down from the bedroom window, via a rope made of tied bed sheets. He quietly went about maneuvering his way around the area that was being guarded by the undead guards. Little did he or Roxas realize that three young children were watching him. They were dressed up like trick or treaters, but anyone who knew these three, knew that they were only about tricks. The three took off their masks and laughed as they saw Sora run off. They quickly went off their own way, which was a shortcut into the square. Riku was sitting down in a corner of the square, watching for any sign of Sora. Suddenly he was besieged by three small children, who jumped on him. Riku was blinded for a moment, but he soon got the three off of him. He drew his Keyblade.

"Who are you three?" Riku demanded to know.

The three giggled as they took of their masks and introduced themselves.

"I'm Lock!" the boy in the red devil mask said.

"Shock!" the girl in the witch outfit exclaimed.

"and I'm Barrel!" The rotund skeleton said.

"What the hell do you want?" Riku asked.

"We just saw Sora!" Shock giggled.

Riku's eyes grew hard.

"Where?" He said firmly.

"We're not telling!" They laughed.

Riku grabbed all three by the front of their shirts and held them up.

"You tell me where he is and maybe I'll let you live!" Riku threatened.

Riku felt the trio shudder in his hands. He set them down and they looked at him nerveously.

"He's trying to get to his ship!" Barrell blurted out.

"Wants to get the jump on ya!" Shock added.

"That way he can be free!" Lock finished.

Riku looked at them.

"Get out of my sight." He sneered.

The trio scattered and Riku quickly raced towards his ship and fired the engines up. He sat and waited for a while before he saw a ship take off in the distance. He quickly took off and chased the ship down.

_Back in Present Time: _

"We've taken a lot of damage!!" Sora said as he weaved the ship in and out of the line of fire.

Suddenly another blast hit the right wing of the ship, and several icons popped up on the screen that showed that the right engine was out. The ship then took a straight nose dive.

"Roxas!!! Hold on!! We're making an emergency landing!!" Sora shouted amidst the alarms and warning signs.

Sora looked at the world that they were going to make the landing on, and he saw that it was the Deep Jungle. He put the landing coordinates in, but the machine malfunctioned. Sora began frantically doing all that he could to pull the ship up and land it, but was having little success. He began pulling on the wheel, as they were now 300 feet from the ground. He gave one last ditch effort and he was able to right the ship from its nosedive. The ship slammed hard into the ground and rolled several times, before crashing into a large tree. The ship was smoking, and there was no sign of Sora, and no one emerged from the ship. Finally a hand burst through and Sora emerged. He was battered and bruised, and had several cuts all over his face. He pulled the rest of his body out and groggily tried to figure out his surroundings. He noticed a large hill with a large waterfall, and started to trudge his way towards it, merely trying to get as far away from Riku as possible. Riku meanwhile, had set his ship down roughly 2 miles away, due to the extensive forestry that Sora's ship had landed. Within 20 minutes, he had found Sora's ship, but upon searching found no sign of Sora. He checked the tracking device, and looked in the direction of the waterfall. A sneer formed on Riku's face.

"There's no escape now Sora…this little game ends now!" He sneered as he ran off in hot pursuit.

**End of Chapter 15**

DUN DUN DUN! Chapter 16 looks like it's going to be a very interesting chapter. Sora seems to be trapped in the Deep Jungle, and without a gummi ship to boot! Riku is hot on his trail, and the ones that want to help him can't until Kairi gets better! Be sure not to miss Chapter 16!

_I will try to have it up by the end of the weekend, Happy 4__th__ of July everyone! Go eat a hot dog and launch some fireworks! _


	16. High Tension

_Sorry for the delay…been rather busy, but I hope to get chapter 17 up by Thursday at the latest for you as payment!_

_Saw two great flicks btw…Transformers is excellent, and I just got back from the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. See them both they are fantastic! _

_I would like to give a shout out to the following people for reviewing, you guys rock!_

_They are: Shire Folk, FernClaw, Knux33, Brightshadow 5, allaroundbetterthanyou, IGottheKey, HollowTasan, and Mrfipp!_

_Thanks also to those that added me to their favorite stories as well! _

_Again, other than Ankoku I don't own any of the following characters…_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 16: High Tension **

"Come on Sora!" Roxas urged his battered and bruised friend.

Sora continued to trek up the large hill, but the crash had taken a tremendous toll on his body. His feet trudged along, and he wasn't even fully aware what he was doing. Unbeknownst to Sora, Riku was hot on his trail. With lightning quickness, Riku was able to scale the tall hill with relative ease. He glanced down at his tracking device and smiled as he realized that he was slowly but surely coming closer to Sora.

"Come on Sora! We gotta move!" Roxas said urging his friend along.

Roxas glanced up and saw that they were almost near the top. He heard something in the distance, and quickly turned around. He looked and saw Riku barreling towards them, and he was gaining fast. Roxas estimated Riku's distance to be around a hundred yards, but at the speed Riku was going, and how slowly Sora was trudging, it wouldn't be that long before he caught up with him. Sora continued to trudge as Riku drew closer. Sora finally made it up to the top, but realized that he was trapped. He had figured since there was a waterfall, there would have been a river, that led to another area. However there was nothing. Roxas was shocked and glanced up. He saw a much higher cliff that produced a smaller waterfall, which served as the basis for this waterfall. The water flowed down from the higher cliff, and collected in a small group, and then went down into the large river below.

"Well now what?" Roxas said.

Sora tried to think of something but couldn't. Roxas noticed Riku getting closer and estimated that he was now 30 yards away. Sora backed up a bit, as he saw Riku make his way to the top of the hill. Riku slowed down, almost waltzing, towards Sora with a big grin on his face and his Keyblade at the ready. Roxas quickly dropped back inside Sora.

"Well well Sora! It seems that this is where our little game of cat and mouse ends!" He said with a sneer.

Sora merely looked back at him and slowly backtracked, until he was almost at the waterfalls edge. He looked down at the drop below and his stomach dropped at the sight of it. He turned back around to face Riku who was grinning madly.

"Nowhere to run to this time!" Riku laughed.

Sora looked at Riku.

"Riku…I didn't…" was all Sora could force out.

"SHUT UP!" Riku roared.

"The only thing that you are going to do now is die!" Riku said with a menacing tone.

Sora looked at Riku, and then shot a glance back at the drop.

"Oh you better not do what I think you're gonna do Sora!" Roxas said from inside Sora's mind.

"I wouldn't dream of it Roxas.: Sora said while not taking his eyes off of Riku.

"You're a filthy liar Sora." Roxas said seeing right through him.

"Aren't we all though?" Sora said as he quickly turned and faced the drop.

Riku's expression changed in an instant when he realized what Sora was planning on doing. He quickly lunged at Sora, but he was too late, as Sora leapt off the top of the falls and began plummeting towards the lake below.

"If we die from this…I will find a way to bring you back and kill you!" Roxas threatened, with fear in his voice.

Sora chuckled. He crashed through the water, with a tremendous splash. The water foamed around the entry point, and from high above Riku watched intently. Seconds seemed to pass like minutes to Riku as he watched for any sign of his prey. Finally Sora's head burst through the water, and Riku watched him struggle to get to the river bank. He cursed under his breath and quickly backtracked down the hill. Sora was having difficulty staying awake as the fall, and then the subsequent swim, had sapped him of all remaining strength. He used every ounce of strength to pull himself onto the bank, at which point Sora flat out collapsed. Sora's eyes had some difficulty staying open, and Roxas quickly came out of Sora to will his friend on.

"Come on Sora! Keep those eyes open! We still have to get away from Riku!" Roxas shouted.

It was to no avail, as Sora drifted deeper and deeper off into unconsciousness with the last vision that he saw was of Roxas shouting at him. Little did Sora know that this whole scene was being watched from a large figure covered by the thick underbrush of the jungle.

_Later…_

Riku made his way to where Sora had laid up on the bank, but was shocked to find no trace of Sora. He quickly checked his tracking device, and saw that Sora was now roughly four miles away from where he was! Riku cursed again and quickly raced back towards his ship.

_Somewhere in the Jungle:_

The soft sound of chattering voices slowly began to bring Sora around. He rubbed his eyes and slowly looked at his surroundings. He was startled to find out that he was in a tent! He looked around and slowly tried to stand, but faltered under his weight. The voices quieted down, and Sora head footsteps coming towards his tent, and watched as a small elderly man with a big bushy mustache poked his head inside of Sora's tent.

"Well hello my boy! It's good to see you up and awake!" The man said as he entered the tent.

Sora slowly got to his feet, and shook the cobwebs from his head.

"Hello Professor Porter, how are you?" Sora said, still a bit woozy.

"Just fine my boy just fine!" Professor Porter said warmly.

Roxas entered the tent with a big grin on his face.

"It's about time that you woke up!" He said.

"How did I get here?" Sora asked.

"Why Terk brought you here!" Professor Porter said.

"She found us over by the river bank, and carried you here." Roxas informed Sora.

"Oh…well where is she? I'd like to thank her." Sora said rubbing his head.

"She left, I'm afraid…you know the policy…she jeopardized herself just by saving you…" Professor Porter informed him.

"Oh yeah…" Sora said.

"Tell me dear boy…how do you plan to get off of this world? Roxas here told me all about this wild quest of yours to clear your name." Professor Porter asked.

Sora shrugged.

"I haven't really thought about it too much…" Sora said.

"I see…well…I do have a ship that you could borrow…" Professor Porter stated.

Sora's eyes grew wide.

"How do you have a ship?" Sora asked.

"It was a gift! King Mickey brought me one as thank you for that excursion into the jungle that I took his lovely wife and him on." Professor Porter stated.

"I never heard about that…" Sora said looking at Roxas who shrugged as well.

"Yes yes…well it was supposed to be hush hush and all that you know…the whole non-interference with worlds and such…but regardless I still have a ship if you would like to have it…can't use the thing myself as a flying ship might scare a few people back in the old country!" Professor Porter said.

"Well thank you very much professor!" Sora said.

"No trouble at all dear boy! I hope that you are able to put this dreadful business behind you!" Professor Porter beamed.

He led Sora and Roxas out of the tent, and a down a small trail, which led to the hidden ship. Sora's eyes widened and a smile came over his face. What stood in front of him was one of the King's gummi ships, almost the exact same model that he had flown with Donald and Goofy on their adventures.

"Don't worry about bringing it back, just be safe!" the Professor said as he patted Sora on the back.

"Thanks a lot Professor!" Sora said as he began to board the ship.

"Tell me boy, where to next?" Professor Porter asked.

Sora thought about it for a little bit.

"I think we'll head to Radiant Garden, that should be close enough, and we might be able to get some help from our friends there." Sora said finally.

Professor Porter nodded and smiled.

"Well good luck Sora! I'll tell Tarzan and my daughter hello for you!" Professor Porter said.

"Okay! Thanks again professor!" Sora said as he headed into the ship.

Take care!" Professor Porter said as the ship took off.

Professor Porter walked away, back towards his camp. As he walked out of view, a figure dropped out from a tree. The hooded figure looked into the sky after Sora's ship, and then quickly raced through a set of trees. There stood the figure's Gummi ship, and the figure quickly boarded the ship, and quickly entered in the coordinates for Radiant Garden. Then the figure turned on the monitor, and phoned Maleficent.

Back in Sora's ship; Sora had begun fidgeting with the various knobs on the control panel, which raised the curiosity of Roxas.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Well, I want to get a message out to Twilight Town Hospital…to let Kairi know that I'm okay…" Sora said.

"But…Donald and Goofy were there! What if they try and find us?" Roxas asked.

"I don't care…Kairi needs to know that I'm okay…and vice versa…who knows, maybe I could convince Donald and Goofy of my innocence!" Sora said as he attempted to contact Twilight Town hospital.

"Why didn't you try this earlier?" Roxas asked.

"Because that ship had nothing on it…aside from the voice box, I couldn't contact anyone, but this is top of the line, so we can…" Sora said before he frowned at the malfunctioning video monitor.

Sora tried and tried, but the video monitor would not work.

"That's odd…" Sora said.

"What if we used the ship's mail server to maybe send an email?" Roxas proposed.

"That could work…" Sora said as he tried to boot it up.

Much like the video monitor though, the mail server was not working which had Sora frustrated. He began slamming the computer, before Roxas quickly stepped in.

"You break it and you'll never get a message out." Roxas said.

He leaned in closer and looked at the error message on the screen.

"Hit these two buttons together and bring up that menu." He instructed Sora.

Sora looked at him with curiosity, but did as he was told. Roxas continued to instruct him for a few more minutes before finally a small text block opened up.

"Okay, this is a very basic form of the mail system, so keep the message short and sweet, otherwise it may not send." Roxas said.

Sora looked at his friend with shock.

"When did you learn how to do all this?" Sora asked.

"Naminé bought me a book." Roxas said.

Sora stared back at him.

"That just raises further questions!" Sora said turning back towards the screen.

Sora pondered what to say, before he finally started writing.

_Radiant Garden…I'm fine Kairi…love Sora_

He looked at the message, and quickly erased the _love Sora_. He then hit send, and waited with baited breath until he finally saw the message sent icon. He breathed a sigh of relief and set the ship's course for Radiant Garden.

"Hopefully, Leon and the others might be able to help us." Sora said, putting his arms behind his head and leaning back in his chair.

Roxas nodded, but a sly grin grew on his face.

"So uh…Sora…I noticed that you deleted a certain part of that message." Roxas said coyly.

Sora's face flushed a little but he quickly shook it off. Roxas snickered at that display.

"I will tell Kairi how I feel when I see her, and all this is over…" Sora said after a brief pause.

"That's my boy!" Roxas said with a grin on his face.

The duo cruised along towards Radiant Garden, but little did they know that Riku was hot on their trail, in his own Gummi ship. The two ships raced towards their destination, each hoping that their goal would be met. For Sora, redemption and vindication were heavy on his mind, along with seeing Kairi again. Riku on the other hand, sought vengeance for Sora's alleged betrayal. It seemed likely that these two were on a collision course, and Radiant Garden would be the site of it all.

_Meanwhile:_

Maleficent was pacing back and forth in the computer room in Xemnas's Castle, concerned over the events that had been going on. Ankoku on the other hand was relaxing in a chair, quite gleeful over how things had progressed. He laughed aloud, which caused Maleficent to shoot him a glare. He smiled back at her.

"Halloween Town just succumbed to the darkness! That means that only Radiant Garden, Twilight Town, Disney Castle and the Deep Jungle remain! I fully expect the Deep Jungle and Twilight Town to succumb sooner than we originally anticipated! This is great!" Ankoku said with enthusiasm.

Maleficent said nothing, and merely continued pacing back and forth. Ankoku rolled his eyes.

"You need to stop worrying! We haven't heard a peep from Sora or the King, in forever!" He said in an attempt to reassure her.

"I know…that's what worries me!" Maleficent said.

At that moment an incoming message icon flashed on the computer screen. Maleficent was quick to answer it, and the hooded figure appeared on screen.

"What news do you have!?" Maleficent demanded to know.

Ankoku came over and they listened to the report.

"He's heading to Radiant Garden!?" Maleficent said with some discomfort.

"What's in Radiant Garden?" Ankoku said.

"Friends that might help Sora!" She said, as she turned back towards the video monitor.

"Continue to follow him and report any information that you find out!" She said sternly as she ended the transmission.

She quickly entered in something on the computer and another video came up. She waited for a few minutes before the gigantic face of Pete came up onto the screen.

"Hello Maleficent! What can I do fer ya?" Pete asked.

"I want you to heighten security at the castle, make sure that nobody can get in or get out!" She ordered.

"Okay Maleficent…" was all Pete got out before Maleficent turned off the screen.

She placed both hands on the control panel, and let out a small sigh, which brought some concern to Ankoku's face. She turned to Ankoku, who looked at her with some curiosity.

"I want you to take a Gummi Ship and watch over the Forbidden World." She said.

"But…why?" Ankoku said.

"DON'T QUESTION ME JUST DO IT!" Maleficent roared as green flames shot up from around her.

Ankoku stared with some awe, before gently bowing and exiting the room.

"That woman is a head case!" Ankoku said to himself as he made his way to the Gummi Ship hangar.

Maleficent sat down in chair that Ankoku was sitting in, and stared at the map. Almost all of it was covered, but that did little to change the mood that Maleficent was in. She refused to rest, and become overconfident as she had been burned by her overconfidence in the past.

"I will not rest…until your demise has been assured Keyblade Master!" She said in a low tone, as she stared closely at the icon on the map that represented Radiant Garden.

**End of Chapter 16**

_Alright guys I will see you Thursday or Friday with Chapter 17!_

_Peace!_


	17. Back to Radiant Garden

_Here you go guys! Chapter 17!_

_I don't own any of the following characters, other than Ankoku._

**Chapter 17: Back to Radiant Garden**

"Here we are! Radiant Garden!" Sora said as the ship touched down.

"Man it's been a while since we were here!" Roxas added.

"Six months isn't that long ago…" Sora said.

Roxas looked at him with shock.

"We weren't here six months ago!" He said.

Sora sighed.

"Yes we were Roxas; Riku Kairi, Naminé, and I came here six months ago for a small get together." He informed his still shocked nobody.

"Where was I?" Roxas snapped, the anger in his voice rising.

"You were with us." Sora said as he exited the ship.

"Then how come I don't remember it?" Roxas said following him out.

"Because you stayed up all night, and slept through the entire thing!" Sora said finally.

Roxas stopped and thought about it.

"Oh…" was all he could muster for a comeback.

Sora laughed as he walked down into the shopping district of Radiant Garden. The town had changed a lot since he first arrived on Hollow Bastion four years ago. The town had grown tremendously since the expulsion of Maleficent and the Organization. The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee had done a fantastic job restoring the town to its former glory. The town was bustling with people, and the local businesses were thriving. Leon and Yuffie had done a fantastic job overseeing the restoration of the town, while Cid had done wonders with his computer skills, creating an incredibly advanced security system for the town. Cloud was in charge of overseeing the town's safety, using both the Security Task Force that he had trained himself, and Cid's system to make Radiant Garden safe. Aerith found great satisfaction in developing various programs for both children and the less fortunate. This allowed people with less money to have a full chance to succeed in the world, and the children of Radiant Garden would be well taken care of. All in all, things seemed to be going well for the town. Sora walked into the busy shopping district and noticed all the various people walking all over the place.

"Maybe one of them knows were I can find Leon…" Sora thought to himself, as he approached a young woman. The woman had her back turned to him.

"Excuse me do you know where I can find Leon?" Sora asked, while politely tapping her shoulder.

"Certainly, he is…" the woman said, while turning around.

When she looked at Sora, fear washed over her face and she screamed loudly. Sora had to cover his ears, it was so loud.

"IT'S SORA!!! HE'S HERE!!" She shrieked, as she took off down an area.

Panic swept over the area, as people began screaming and taking off towards the exits. Sora watched as several men and women appeared wearing black pants and black vests. They pointed at him and began sprinting towards him. Sora quickly raced towards the alley that the young woman had raced down to get away from him. He tore down the alley, as he heard the voices of men and women shouting out where he went. He navigated the twists and turns of the Radiant Garden back alleys, while trying desperately to get away. He took a sharp turn down a street and continued to run. He heard the voices and footsteps getting closer and closer, and he began stumbling. Suddenly, a hand grabbed him and pulled him into a small hole in one of the walls. A hand was placed over his mouth, as he watched the men and women go racing past him. The hand let go, and Sora breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey thanks a lot…" He said as he turned around.

As he turned around however, he was met with a hard shot across the face that sent him sprawling back out of the hole and up against the opposite wall. Sora shook the cobwebs and felt his throbbing face. He looked up with horror as his assailant came into view. The silver hair, the evil smile, the wild eyes…it was Riku.

"Riku! What are you doing here?" Sora said.

"Hunting you down!" Riku said advancing on Sora.

Sora quickly got to his feet and quickly ran with Riku now chasing him. He raced past corners, and made his way back into the shopping district. Riku was able to trip him up and sent Sora face down on the pavement. Sora's skull smacked the pavement with a sick thud. Sora was in tremendous pain, and he began to feel a warm trail of blood slowly ooze down his face. He began crawling away, attempting to get away from Riku, which made Riku even happier. Riku was taking great pleasure in kicking him as he was down. Roxas came out from Sora, and tried to draw Riku's attention, but he had no luck. He could only watch helplessly as Riku continued his assault. Riku finally drew his Keyblade and smiled evilly.

"Time to end this!" Riku said raising the blade.

Before he could bring the blade down, a man with bright blonde spiky hair and dressed in all black, used his gigantic sword to knock Riku's Keyblade from his hand. A hard elbow knocked Riku away, and the man stood over Sora, in a defensive position with his sword at the ready. Roxas looked in awe at the new combatant, but quickly broke out into a big grin.

"Better late than never Cloud!" He said.

Cloud looked at Roxas with a hard glare and then turned his attention back to Riku, who had gotten up and regained his Keyblade.

"Get outta here Cloud…this isn't your fight!" Riku threatened.

Cloud said nothing, but still stood over Sora, and waited for Riku to make his move. Riku seethed with anger at this latest development, and lunged at Cloud. The two warriors engaged in battle, going back and forth with neither side gaining an advantage. Roxas meanwhile went over to Sora, and tried to urge him up. Sora slowly but surely got up and Roxas cringed as he gazed upon Sora's crimson mask.

"What…what's going on?" Sora said groggily.

"Cloud is fighting Riku!" Roxas said.

"Cool…" Sora said, as he struggled to watch the fight.

The two gladiators were still matching each other blow for blow. They didn't seem like they were ever going to stop. Sora couldn't maintain consciousness and passed out from the loss of blood.

"ENOUGH!!"

The two stopped what they were doing and looked towards the direction of the shout. A tall man with brown hair and a stern face approached them. Behind the man came the men and women that were chasing Sora earlier. Roxas immediately recognized him as Leon. Leon looked at the unconscious Sora and then turned to Riku.

"What the hell are you doing Riku!?" Leon snapped.

"I have orders to bring Sora Hakiri to justice!" Riku stated.

"I know all about the orders, but I highly doubt King Mickey had this in mind when he sent you out to find Sora!" Leon replied angrily.

"Well…I found him now, so if you will excuse me…I will be taking the traitor back to Disney Castle!" Riku stated as he walked towards Sora.

Cloud quickly stepped in front of Riku and so did the Security Task Force. Riku glared at Leon.

"By order of King Mickey, step aside!" Riku barked.

"I won't allow it Riku! I am officially placing Sora under the protection of Radiant Garden!" Leon stated.

"You can't do that!" Riku roared.

"According to the bylaws I can! I'm not going to have you brutalizing Sora!" Leon said firmly.

Leon turned to Cloud.

"Take him to Aerith and have her fix him up, then bring him to HQ." He ordered.

Cloud nodded and grabbed the nearly unconscious Sora and carried him away. Leon began walking back up the way that he came, with Riku right behind him barking all the while. Cloud entered the doors to the clinic, where Aerith was already waiting for him. Cloud laid Sora down on the table, and Aerith quickly went to work. She cringed as she wiped up the blood off his face and quickly took off his blood soaked clothes.

"Who did this to him?" She asked Cloud.

"Riku…" came Cloud's response.

"Unbelievable…" Aerith said.

She stitched up the gash in his head and applied gauze and wrapped it up. She wiped her brow, and quickly had Cloud move him over to a bed.

"He'll be fine…he just needs to rest now." She said to him.

She looked at Cloud, who seemed distant.

"Cloud…what's wrong?" Aerith asked.

"It's nothing…" He said turning his head.

"Cloud…I know when you are hiding something from me." She said as she placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.

"Is it Sephiroth?" She asked.

Cloud cringed at the sound of his mortal enemy's name. Aerith noticed this.

"Sorry…" She said.

"No…I feel something coming…something far worse…" He said ominously.

Aerith nodded.

"I know I feel it too." She said.

Cloud looked into her eyes.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He said.

"I know…" Aerith said leaning in.

They kissed for a moment, and then pulled close for an embrace. They pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes. They were about to kiss again, before they heard something towards the entrance. They turned to the entrance, and saw Roxas standing in the doorway. Cloud quickly pulled apart and tried to play it off, while Aerith turned red. Roxas smirked.

"I have to…go…" Cloud said.

Aerith nodded. Cloud walked past the snickering Roxas and shot him a death glare. Roxas stiffened up, but as soon as Cloud was out of sight, he broke into full on laughter.

"Ah that was great…so how is he doc?" Roxas said.

Aerith smiled at Roxas.

"He'll be fine, he just needs some rest." She said.

"Good…mind if I wait?" Roxas asked.

"Sure go ahead!" Aerith said warmly.

_About an hour later: _

Sora's eyes stirred open. Roxas and Aerith were looking at him with smiles.

"How ya feeling buddy?" Roxas asked.

"Like I just got hit by Goofy's shield…" Sora said slowly sitting up.

"I washed your clothes for you…" Aerith said smiling.

Sora looked down, and saw that he was in his boxers and that was it. His face flushed beat red. Aerith laughed lightly.

"It's okay Sora…I'm a registered nurse…and you don't have anything that I haven't seen before." She said reassuringly.

"O…okay…" Sora said, as he quickly threw on his shorts.

There was a knock at the door, and they all turned to see Cloud.

"Leon wants to see you in the other room." He said.

"Okay give me a sec…" Sora said as he tossed his shirt on.

He slipped on his shoes and followed Cloud out of the room. He walked across the hall, and into a large room. It was very business like, with a desk in towards the back of the room, with an enormous window that took up the entire wall to the back of it. On the western wall there were many shelves that contained numerous books. There were several chairs in the room, most situated along the walls. Several were placed in front of the desk, and there was a large beige rug that took up most of the hardwood floor. Sora looked and saw Leon sitting at a desk waiting for him. He smiled as he saw the bandaged Sora approach the desk.

"How are you feeling Sora?" Leon asked.

"Better than I was before I woke up." Sora responded.

Leon chuckled. He motioned for Sora to take a seat, which he did. Leon wasted little time and turned the computer screen that showed a live map of the worlds so that Sora could see it. Sora looked at it, but was confused.

"Leon why are there only 3 worlds showing on that map?" Sora said.

"Because those are the only ones that haven't succumbed to the darkness yet." Leon said.

"What are you talking about?" Sora said with concern.

"There is a machine…that creates something called the Eternal Void. What the Void does is covers any world that it touches with pure darkness. Now instead of turning people into heartless, it turns the inhabitants of the world into savages, and anarchy reigns supreme. So far every world with the exception of Disney Castle, Twilight Town, and Radiant Garden have been affected. Twilight Town looked to be next, but the cloud seemed to have slowed down a bit, but Twilight Town, along with the other two worlds will fall too if something isn't done." Leon said darkly.

Sora let that sink in. All those worlds, all his friends, his home on Destiny Island…all those were now little more than barren wastelands with bloodthirsty savages running wild. He looked at Leon with an angry expression.

"Who's behind this?" Sora demanded.

"I don't know…but I would guess it would be Maleficent." Leon said.

Sora stood up and took a firm stance.

"We have to do something! Get on the HWS and let the remaining worlds know!" Sora said.

Leon shook his head.

"The HWS has been out of commission for a while now; it shut off shortly after the news of your betrayal broke." Leon informed him.

"There has to be something we can do!" Sora begged.

"Sora…there's really nothing I can do at this point…while I oversee the town, I don't have the power to order people around to fight this. There is a legislature here that oversees my decision making and votes on each decision." Leon explained.

"Well talk to them! Maybe you can get something done!" Sora pleaded.

"I've already tried but they don't believe me, they voted me down." Leon said.

"Well let me talk to them! I'll think of something to say to them!" Sora said.

"Its not that simple Sora, you need to schedule an appointment weeks in advance, unless they make a special case, and I already talked to them about it, but they didn't believe us…they said the Forbidden World was merely an old legend…" Leon said.

"Well...find a way to get these shackles off, I'll go fight myself!" Sora said bravely.

"I wish I could…but I can't…" Leon said regrettably.

Leon looked away, and Sora got the feeling that there was something that he wasn't telling him.

"Leon, what's wrong?" Sora asked.

Leon sighed.

"Sora…you're a wanted criminal…and now people know that you're here. The committee found out that we were in possession of you, from Riku, and they demanded that you appear before them to face trial for your actions. They wanted to throw you in jail, but I negotiated with them to allow you to stay with us for tonight…safe from Riku…in exchange that you will appear for the trial…which takes place tomorrow morning." Leon said finally.

Sora looked at him in shock.

"But Leon…I'm innocent!" Sora protested.

Leon nodded.

"I believe you, and so does Yuffie, Aerith, and everyone else…but there's nothing we can do. They know that we are friends of yours; therefore they won't hear from any of us, as they think we have a conflict of interest." He lamented, looking down.

"I'm sorry Sora…but tomorrow…you're on your own." Leon said.

Sora looked at him, and then down at the floor. Leon walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He called out for Cloud, and Cloud entered the room.

"Can you take Sora to his room?" Leon asked.

"Yeah sure." Came Cloud's reply.

"Goodnight Sora, I will be there tomorrow to support you…good luck…" Leon said.

Sora didn't say anything, as he was still shocked by all that Leon had told him. He followed Cloud out of the room and down the hall. Cloud stopped in front of a door, and opened it for Sora. Sora looked at Cloud and Cloud nodded as if he understood what Sora was feeling. Sora walked into the room and sat down on the bed. It was a nice room, clean, with a large bay window that opened up to a balcony. The walls were white, and the bed comforter was an ocean blue. However, Sora didn't really notice his surroundings. He took off his shoes, and sat down on his bed. Roxas came out from Sora, but said nothing as he was shocked as well. Roxas drifted off to the corner of the room as Sora slowly rolled onto his side and stared out the large window that overlooked the town. He let out a sigh as various thoughts raced through his mind.

"Kairi…I really wish you were here right now…" Sora said.

Roxas nodded.

"You too Naminé…" he added quietly.

_Meanwhile at Twilight Town Hospital:_

King Mickey came back from attempting to contact another world via the HWS, but it was still off-line. Donald and Goofy were sleeping, while Queen Minnie was reading a magazine. Mickey sat down in a chair next to his wife. She looked up from her magazine, but upon reading his face, she could tell that it didn't work out. She gave him a light peck on the cheek and nestled her head on his shoulder. Naminé floated into the room and over towards the two mice. They looked up at her and smiled.

"How's our girl?" Mickey asked.

"Sleeping…the doctors have her on anesthetics, as every time she wakes up they have to restrain her. They sent me out here, because they don't want her to have any visitors, they fear it might stimulate her, and with her condition, she could face serious health risks if she tries to go anywhere." Naminé informed them.

"The HWS is still offline, and there are now only three worlds not under control by the darkness. We need to do something soon, and if Kairi can't get through to Sora…we're doomed." Mickey warned.

At that moment, one of the receptionists came out into the waiting room and looked around. She spotted the King, and quickly walked over to him.

"Mr. Mouse…this just came over our reserve email server…our main internet is down, but we have a back up in case something happens…we will get a lot of emails from various well wishers, but with the main server down, most of them can't get through, unless they make the emails small enough…" She explained.

Mickey nodded looking at her intently.

"Anyways…this was able to make it through and it was addressed to Kairi…but since she can't read it, maybe you would like it, and give it to her when she wakes up." The nurse said, handing the letter to King Mickey.

Mickey took the letter and read it silently as the nurse walked off. His eyes grew wide, and looked at Naminé and the queen.

"What does it say?" Minnie asked.

Mickey looked down at the letter and read it aloud.

"Radiant Garden…I'm fine Kairi…"

Mickey looked at Naminé and Minnie.

"Sora!" They all said excitedly.

"Donald! Goofy! Wake up!" Mickey called out.

His two pals opened their eyes and yawned. They stared sleepily at their King.

"On your feet guys! We know where Sora is!" King Mickey said.

In a flash the two were up, and raring to go. King Mickey turned back to Naminé and the Queen.

"I need you two to stay here until we return…" He said to the duo.

They nodded and Minnie gave her husband a quick good luck kiss. The trio raced outside and boarded their ship.

"Where are we going?" Donald asked.

"Radiant Garden!" Mickey stated.

Donald immediately set the coordinates for Radiant Garden, and in a flash they were off.

"Full speed ahead Donald! Who knows how much time we have!" Mickey stated, as the ship tore off into the night sky.

**End of Chapter 17**

_There you go! Well, chapter 18 looks to be ready hopefully on Monday or Tuesday, and then Chapter 19 will hopefully be up Thursday or Friday. Enjoy your weekend and I will see you later!_


	18. Court is Now in Session

_Here is chapter 18! Sorry I've been really busy lately, and it doesn't look like it will be slowing down until August, but I will press on._

_Thanks to all of you that review regularly and all the newbies as well! _

_I own Ankoku and nothing else._

_Enjoy Chapter 18!_

**Chapter 18: Court is Now in Session**

A knock on the door woke the slumbering Sora, and he stumbled out of bed to answer it. He opened the door to see Leon standing there. Leon smirked at the half-awake Sora.

"Nice bed head." Leon snickered.

"Meh…" Sora said.

"The trial starts in 45 minutes, so I would suggest you get ready. Since it's a court case, maybe you should dress in something other than your battle clothes…" Leon said looking down at Sora, who apparently had fallen asleep in his battle clothes.

"But I have nothing else…" Sora mumbled.

Leon smiled and pressed a bag into Sora's chest.

"Don't worry Yuffie and Aerith took care of that." Leon said.

Sora looked down into the bag, as Leon reached around in his pocket.

"I got permission to do this, but only if you fully cooperate both during and after the trial…" Leon said as he held up a small key.

"Will that do what I think it does?" Sora asked.

"Yes…it will take off your shackles, but only if you agree to wear this anklet that essentially does the same thing…" Leon said holding up the black anklet.

"Yeah that's fine…how did you get that key?" Sora said.

"King Mickey gave us one simply as a precaution, along with a set of shackles, incase either you or Riku ever went crazy, but we never thought that we would have to use them." Leon explained.

Sora nodded and held out his hands. Leon removed the shackles, and Sora felt whole again for some reason, like a great surge of power had returned to his body. Leon handed him the anklet, and Sora took it.

"Now hurry up…shower and get dressed we gotta go soon." Leon said as he walked away.

Sora shut the door and went into the bathroom. He emerged twenty minutes later, with a towel wrapped around his waist, and his hair dripping wet. He peered inside the bag, and found a nice pair of charcoal pants, and matching jacket and a blue dress shirt. Rounding out the ensemble was a pair of black dress shoes, a belt, and black socks. He threw on the pants and shirt, but left the top button undone. He put on the belt and then the socks and shoes. Finally he added the jacket and walked into the bathroom to look at himself. He nodded in approval, as Roxas came out of Sora yawning. He looked at Sora, then rubbed his eyes and looked again. A smile came over his face.

"Looking good!" Roxas said.

"I could get used to this…" Sora said.

"Well, let's worry about the trial first…" Roxas said.

Sora's smile faded, as he realized what lay ahead of him.

"I almost forgot about it…" Sora said glumly.

There was a knock on the door and Sora went to answer it. Leon stood outside with several of the Security Force.

"Looking sharp Sora…you ready to go?" Leon asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be…" Sora said as he quickly bent down and attached the anklet. As soon as he attached the anklet, the feeling of freedom escaped his body. The device beeped signifying that it was on and Sora trudged out of the room.

They walked down the hall, and out a double set of doors that led to a walkway. Sora glanced out the windows that lined the walls of the walkway and saw the hustle and bustle of the town. He walked through another set of doors and down another long hallway. They turned the corner and walked into a large door. Inside was a large courtroom, with numerous benches for the public, but there weren't that many there. He did see his friends Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, and Cloud, who all smiled and waved, with the exception of Cloud who merely nodded. Leon motioned for Sora to go through the gate and stand at the large podium, which sat in the center of the room, opposite of another podium. Sora stepped up and looked around the front of the room. He saw roughly fifty men and women sitting down, wearing judicial robes, and looking sternly at him. To his right, he saw a younger woman, with strawberry blonde hair and glasses, who was looking through her briefcase, apparently going over some notes. Leon had taken a seat next to Yuffie, and they sat and patiently waited for the trial to start. Five minutes past; which felt like an eternity to Sora, but eventually an elderly man made his way into the courtroom. His robes were similar to the other members, but his had a large gold stripe that cut across his chest. He took a seat in the center of the committee and pulled a few papers from a folder that he had on his desk. He looked at Sora, and pushed his spectacles up higher on the bridge of his nose.

"Is the defendant here?" He spoke in a loud clear voice.

"Y…Yes…" Sora stuttered.

"Is the prosecution here?" He asked again.

The young woman stood up, and faced the committee.

"Candice Porter for the prosecution." She stated clearly.

She sat down and he turned his attention back towards Sora.

"Sora Hakiri…you have been charged with high treason against the crown of Disney, as well as the attempted murder of Kairi Uchida…how do you plead?" He said with his eyes narrowing at Sora.

"Not guilty…" Sora said weakly.

The man turned back towards the young woman.

"Ms. Porter you may proceed." He said.

Ms. Porter stood up and nodded. She walked over towards Sora, staring him down. Sora gazed uneasily on the floor.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the council…I intend to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Sora Hakiri, both willingly and purposefully carried out these heinous acts. I would like to call my star witness, who was there at the time of the attacks, and witnessed the defendant's attempt on Kairi's life: Mr. Riku." She began.

Sora heard the doors fling open, and Sora grimaced as he saw Riku march up to the gate, entered, and took a stand on the other podium. They locked eyes, and Riku wore a sinister grin. The bailiff approached Riku and swore him in. Once that was finished, Ms. Porter approached Riku.

"Now Mr. Riku…" She began.

"It's just Riku." He stated firmly with a little bite.

She was a bit taken aback but pressed on.

"Right then…Riku, how do you know the defendant?" She asked.

"Sora and I have been best friends since we were in elementary school." Riku stated.

"So you two were close?" She pressed on.

"Almost brothers…" He said.

"Were you with the defendant at the time of the attack on Kairi Uchida?" She asked.

"Yes I was." Riku said with his eyes flashing wildly.

"Did you see the defendant attack her with his Keyblade?" She questioned further.

"Yes I did." He said with a far greater sneer.

"You also heard King Mickey's distress call, and you saw the wound correct?" She asked.

"I'll never forget it." Riku said again.

"Now you say that you've the defendant for years…what could possibly have possessed him to do such heinous acts?" She asked.

"I don't know…he seemed very quiet in the few weeks leading up to the attack, very distant from those around him, and wouldn't tell us what was bothering him…" Riku stated.

"Well, the defendant maintains his innocence…couldn't it be a coincidence? Maybe he's telling the truth?" She asked.

"Well, I want to believe that, but King Mickey informed us that his spies saw Sora with the enemy and they were acting very friendly." Riku said.

"Maybe it was someone that just looked like Sora?" She asked.

"I don't think so…Sora would often go out on his own for long periods of time, and never tell us where he was going…he was really secretive." Riku stated.

"Sounds like an open and shut case to me. Thank you for your time Riku." She said.

"My pleasure…" He said as he sneered at Sora.

The man sitting in the council looked at Sora.

"Mr. Hakiri you may question the witness." He stated.

Sora stepped down slowly and approached Riku's podium. For a moment the two gazed into each other's eyes. Sora seemingly saw something in Riku's eyes that made him back up. He gazed at him as he walked back towards his podium.

"I have no questions…" Sora said as he stood up back onto the podium.

The members of the committee looked at each other and murmurs ran through the ranks. The man looked back at Ms. Porter.

"Do you have any other witnesses?" He asked.

"No I do not." She said.

The man turned back to Sora.

"Mr. Hakiri…if you have any witnesses please call them now." He stated.

Sora thought about it for a bit, but couldn't seem to come up with one. There was a beeping noise from the audience that broke Sora's concentration. He turned to see Leon exiting the courtroom quickly.

"I wonder what that was all about…" Sora thought to himself.

"Mr. Hakiri!" The judge called out breaking Sora's train of thought yet again.

"Do you have any witnesses?" He asked again.

Sora began thinking hard, but still couldn't come up with one.

"Sora! Call me!" Roxas's voice rang out in Sora's head.

"I call my friend Roxas to the stand!" Sora said clearly.

"Very well, will Roxas please take the stand?" The man said looking around to see if one of members of the audience would stand up.

"I'd be glad to!" Roxas said as he came out of Sora's body, scaring half of the committee and Ms. Porter.

Roxas floated over to the podium and was sworn in, by the stunned bailiff. Sora walked over towards his friend.

"Now Roxas…when we went on the mission…were you or were you not with me the entire time?" Sora asked.

"I was with you the entire time." Roxas stated.

"Now can you tell me if we ever saw the King or Kairi during the time that we were eliminating heartless per the King's orders?" Sora asked.

"No we did not." He said.

"What about before the mission… did we ever have any relations with Maleficent?" Sora asked.

"No…in fact…until…Hayner informed us of King Mickey's proclamation, we didn't even know that she was back." Roxas said.

"Thanks Roxas." Sora said as he walked back towards his podium.

The man looked over at the still shocked Ms. Porter.

"Y…you may cross examine him…" He stuttered.

Ms. Porter nodded and quickly pulled herself together.

"Roxas…how do you know the defendant?" She asked.

"I'm his nobody…and I live in his mind." Roxas stated.

"What do you mean by nobody? I'm aware of heartless, but what is a nobody?" She asked.

"When a strong hearted person is turned into a heartless…a nobody is created. A nobody is part of the original person, but doesn't have a heart. That's the basic gist of it." Roxas said.

"So if you're Sora's nobody…that would mean that you are essentially a part of him…correct?" She asked.

"Yeah." Roxas said.

"So…how do we know that you aren't just going along with this whole charade? How can we determine whether or not this isn't just an elaborate ruse by the two of you? You said yourself that you are a part of him, so how is it that you telling us all of this, is any different than if the defendant was up here telling us all that?" She said.

"I have my own thoughts…and I know Sora…he wouldn't do something like this…plus I would find a way to kill him if he did, because if Kairi dies, my girlfriend Naminé goes with her." Roxas said, defending himself.

"Still the fact that Sora faces serious repercussions for these actions would prevent you from living a normal life correct?" She said.

"Well yeah…but…" Roxas began.

"So you chose to defend him…make it seem like everyone was out to get Sora…that way you stay safe, and this maniac is out on the streets again!" She said accusingly.

"No!" Roxas shouted.

She looked at Roxas, and then up at the committee, and then back at Roxas. A smirk formed on her face, as if she had just pulled off something.

"No more questions." She said as she walked back towards her desk.

"You may step down Roxas…" The man said.

Roxas went back inside Sora.

"Do you think that went well?" He asked.

"I don't know Roxas…" Sora said silently.

The committee looked at each other and murmured to each other, and the man in front cleared his throat.

"Well…if there are no other witnesses, I believe that we will begin our deliberation…" The man began before the door swung open.

"I believe there is someone who would like to take the stand!" Leon called out.

Everyone looked towards the doors and saw that Leon was standing in the doorway, and to his left were Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey!

"Donald! Goofy! King Mickey!" Sora cried out.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy said racing up to their friend.

They tackled their friend onto the ground, as the committee tried to regain order in the court and amongst themselves as the murmurs were louder now.

"King Mickey! What is the meaning of all this!?" The spectacled man demanded to know.

"I demand that this case be thrown out on the grounds that Sora was not the one who attacked me!" King Mickey stated clearly.

"If Sora didn't do it…then who did?" The man asked with curiosity.

"It was a clever ruse by Maleficent, in an attempt to take Sora out of the picture, so that she could complete her master plan of taking over all the worlds!" Mickey explained.

The murmurs that had made waves through the committee were now full out questions. The man had a difficult time getting everyone quiet, but finally was able too.

"In light of this new evidence, the committee will now vote to dismiss the charges against Sora Hakiri. All in favor of dismissal?"

Sora watched as all hands went up in unison.

"Sora Hakiri…you have been cleared of all charges…bailiff, will you please remove his anklet." The man said.

The bailiff walked over and took off the anklet. The feeling of it coming off was liberating to Sora. He hugged Donald and Goofy, and Roxas also came out to celebrate. The members of the committee dispersed, with the man who oversaw everything coming over to talk with the King and Leon. A primal scream ended all the joy in the room however, as Riku was standing in the middle of the courtroom with his Keyblade at the ready.

"I WILL KILL YOU SORA!" He roared again.

Sora quickly got up and called forth his Keyblade. Sora grasped the blade for the first time in a long time, and he felt a huge rush of power course through his body. Riku lunged at Sora, who blocked his move and countered with a combo of his own. This time it was Riku who was on the defensive, as Sora unleashed an offensive flurry on his friend. Sora was able to knock the Keyblade out of Riku's hands and send Riku to the floor. He pointed the Keyblade at Riku's neck, and gazed at him with a smirk.

"I win." He said.

Riku's eyes grew even larger and the rage boiled over. He began writhing on the ground making strange noises, which seemed almost primal. Sora was bewildered. He had guessed that Riku was not himself, but this seemed bizarre even for him. King Mickey heard this and quickly raced up two the duo. He called forth his Keyblade and held it down towards Riku. He closed his eyes and a small golden beam shot from his blade, and struck Riku in the face. Riku's body began to convulse, as Sora backed away and looked on in wonder. The beam finally went away and Mickey opened his eyes. Riku lay on the ground motionless, for a few seconds, before groaning and rubbing his eyes. Riku sat up and slowly looked around.

"Where am I?" He asked.

He turned and saw Sora, and looked at him.

"And why are you wearing a suit?" He asked.

"You're in Radiant Garden Riku; you were brain-washed by an ally of Maleficent named Ankoku." King Mickey explained.

Sora stepped forward.

"King Mickey…I think you need to start at the beginning, so that way we can figure out what the hell is going on." Sora stated.

King Mickey nodded and proceeded to tell them everything. He told them first of the Sora duplicate that was created by Ankoku, which was the real culprit behind the attacks, he also told them how the mission was a trap. He then spoke of Ankoku and how he has the power to contort darkness, and how he used his powers to manipulate Riku. He then spoke of his imprisonment, and then the plan that they were concocting. He told them about the Eternal Void and the Amulet and the history lesson that went along with it. He spoke of how Disney Castle was now in their control. He told them about the clouds and what they did, and how almost every world was under its control. He then spoke of the severity of the situation, and that they needed to act fast.

"So the two of us were played like saps, and while that was going on those two were wrecking havoc on the worlds…" Riku said solemnly.

He looked at Sora.

"I'm sorry Sora…if my heart was stronger, then we wouldn't even be in this mess." Riku said quietly.

"It's not your fault, and don't worry about it…I knew you weren't yourself…there was a time during all this that I forgot who I was too." Sora said.

"Well now is the time for action." Mickey said turning to Leon and his group as well as the spectacled man.

"You need to warn all the citizens to take refuge underground, it's not safe for them to be above ground any more." He instructed.

They nodded and the spectacled man quickly raced off, followed by Cloud, Aerith, Yuffie, but he held out a hand before Cid took off.

"I need three of your best Gummi Ships." King Mickey stated.

"I got just the three that'll light a fire under yer butt!" Cid said with a grin, as he raced off.

King Mickey then turned to Leon.

"I need you to find a way to contact Twilight Town Hospital and let them know the severity of the situation, tell them to get everyone that they can find in the city to either go to the hospital or get underground." He instructed.

Leon nodded.

"Leon! Make sure that Hayner, Pence, and Olette are safe as well okay!?" Sora pleaded.

"Sure thing." Leon said as he raced off.

King Mickey looked at Riku.

"Riku I need you to head towards The World that Never Was, and infiltrate Xemnas's Castle; keep on the lookout for the Cornerstone of Light, as they probably took it there, and be careful as I'm sure Maleficent or Ankoku will be there." He instructed.

"Good! I want someone to pay for what they did!" Riku said.

King Mickey nodded and turned to Sora.

"Sora…you know what you have to do…" He said.

"Yeah…go to the Forbidden World and seal up the machine again…" Sora said.

"Yes, but first you need to find out the location of the world, as I don't know where it is." Mickey admitted.

"Head towards Twilight Town, and speak with Master Yen Sid; he should be able to give you the coordinates, or at least point you in the right direction." Mickey informed him.

"Meanwhile; Donald, Goofy, and I will head towards Disney Castle, and try to reclaim it as well as free our friends and families that are trapped inside." Mickey said.

He turned back to Riku.

"Once you find the Cornerstone…I need you to quickly stop off at Twilight Town Hospital and have them transfer Kairi, Naminé, Minnie, and as many people as you can fit in the ship. Then I need you to bring the Cornerstone here so I can restore its power, and provide a safe haven for those that still are out there, not yet turned into savages. I will have Donald and Goofy making runs in ships as well after we secure the castle, so that maybe we can get as many people to safety as possible before Twilight Town becomes uninhabitable." King Mickey said.

Riku nodded.

"Alright guys…this is it. If we succeed, we save the worlds, but if we don't…well, let's just say that failure isn't really much of an option right now…" King Mickey said.

Everyone nodded.

"Alright guys! Let's move out!" King Mickey said as they raced towards the shopping district.

They got outside, and gazed at the scene. Their friends were trying to herd all the people into any underground area that they could find. The sky was now blood red, which meant that sooner or later this town would be covered in pure darkness. Three sleek looking gummi ships stood out front with Cid standing in front of them grinning.

"Ain't they just the greatest?" He said.

Sora looked up at the state of the art ships, and had to agree with Cid, they looked far better than any other gummi ship that he had ever seen.

"Let's consider this a trade, your three ships for these beauts." Cid said.

"It's a deal Cid, thanks!" Mickey said.

"No sweat, you guys just get out there and kick some butt!" He said as he ran off to help his friends.

They began to board the ships, but Sora heard someone call out his name. He turned and saw Yuffie running up towards him holding something in her hands.

"You almost forgot your clothes dummy!" She said thrusting Sora's battle garb in his chest.

"Oh yeah…thanks Yuffie, and thanks for the suit as well!" Sora said with a smile.

"Yeah well, you can't look like a slob all the time!" She said sticking her tongue out.

"Hey!" Sora snapped.

"I think your bickering can wait until after all this is over." Leon said walking up to the two of them.

"Sora…good luck…" Leon said extending his hand.

"Thanks Leon." He said shaking his hand.

Yuffie gave Sora a quick hug.

"Don't you do anything stupid!" She warned.

Sora grinned.

"Who me?" He said as he walked back into the ship.

Leon and Yuffie waved and then quickly raced back towards the crowds and continued their job. The three ships powered up and took off towards their destinations. From a hiding spot on a roof, the hooded figure watched the ships fly off, and quickly went back to its own ship. The figure opened the ship, and quickly got on the monitor, and dialed Maleficent as the ship rose and flew off into the night sky.

"DAMNIT!" Maleficent roared as green flames shot up around her.

She hung up on the hooded figure, and began quickly dialing Pete's number.

"Whatsup Maleficent?" Pete asked as his bulbous head appeared on the monitor.

"The King and his Lackeys are heading your way! Strengthen your defenses, and don't you dare lose the Castle!" She snapped.

"Yes Sir Maleficent…er…" Pete said, but was hung up on before he got a chance to finish correcting himself.

Maleficent sat down in her chair, and began plotting her next move. They took three ships, so that meant that they were going to different areas. She figured that they would send Sora to the Forbidden World as he was the only one that could seal it, so that took care of one. She figured that Ankoku was powerful enough that he could challenge the Keyblade Master long enough until she got there, to help out. The King was heading towards Disney Castle, and she had already warned Pete so that took care of the 2nd ship. She knew that they were aware that the Cornerstone would more than likely be here, so they would send someone after it. She smiled as she realized who would more than likely be coming after her.

"Hmm…it looks like I might need to prepare for a little family reunion…" She said, as the grin grew wider, before breaking out into a full on laughter.

**End of Chapter 18**

_Well there you go! Sora is free, and judgment day is upon them. Will they be able to stop the plan? Find out in Chapter 19, due up either this weekend or early next week!_

_Until then…Later!_


	19. The Calm before the Storm

_My apologies for the lateness of this post, as I had really intended to get this up over the weekend. Believe me…I actually have a good reason though: I was reading the new Harry Potter book. It was a fantastic read let me tell you, and I hope that you all get a chance to read it. _

_Now that the Harry Potter craziness is out of my system, it's time to get back to our regularly scheduled updates…or at least until the Simpsons movie comes out this weekend, then I may be watching non-stop Simpsons…but until then I will try to get Chapter 20 up by Friday afternoon. _

_We are getting down to the nitty gritty guys and gals, the end is approaching, and if you haven't seen by my profile yet, there will be more stories in conjunction with this one. I won't tell you what they are yet, but I do have them in mind. My advice to those of you who like my stuff, is to add my to your author alerts page, that way you can be notified when the next story comes along. And while you're doing that you can make me feel really good about myself and add me as a favorite author!_

_(Crickets chirping…)_

_Ouch._

_Anyways here is Chapter 19!!_

_I only own Ankoku._

_  
Enjoy!_

**Chapter 19: The Calm before the Storm**

The gummi ship flew over the various buildings and structures that dotted the landscape of Twilight Town. Sora was shocked to see how quickly he had made the trek to Twilight Town from Radiant Garden.

"This ship is incredible!" Sora commented.

Roxas was casually leaning up against the wall, and nodded in agreement. He looked at Sora and a smirk formed on his face.

"Still wearing the suit I see…" He said slyly.

"Yeah, I'm really starting to like it!" Sora said quickly, as if he was trying to hide something.

Roxas saw this, and decided to press further.

"Is that the only reason?" He asked as a grin broke out over his face.

"Wellllll…" Sora began, apparently realizing that he had been caught.

"I thought we might stop by the hospital and see how Kairi was doing…" Sora said sheepishly.

"I knew it!" Roxas said triumphantly.

"First however, we need to see Master Yen Sid, so that way we can find out where the Forbidden World is located." He said growing serious.

"Right!" Roxas said in agreement.

The ship cruised along, passing over the city and along the outskirts of Twilight Town, before a tall tower came into view. The ship cruised in at a low altitude, and set down just in front of the large door. Sora exited the ship and quickly made his way inside the castle. He saw the familiar dizzying staircase, and sighed at the long trek he was about to make. He walked up the many steps, until he had climbed all the way to the top. Once, there he saw another door, which was closed. Sora reached up to knock, but before he could the door swung open. A voice called out to Sora.

"Enter young Master of the Keyblade."

Sora was taken aback, but pushed forward and entered the chamber. There sitting at his desk, clad in his blue robe and hat, was King Mickey's mentor: Master Yen Sid. He seemed to look the same as he did the last time Sora visited two years ago. Master Yen Sid looked up at Sora. A small smile formed, but quickly was replaced by a serious tone.

"Time is running out Keyblade Master…the worlds have almost fallen…" He said ominously.

"Yeah I know…that's kinda why I'm here…I need to know the location to the Forbidden World." Sora said.

Master Yen Sid looked at him, as if he held some reservations about giving the coordinates to him. Finally it appeared that he had relented, and waved his hand above the desk. An old brown parchment materialized in the air, and gently sat down on his desk. Master Yen Sid eyed the parchment as he picked it up and slowly gave it to Sora. He quickly pulled it back for a second, which confused Sora.

"The Forbidden World is a dangerous place Sora…all kinds of dark creatures dwell there, and I have no doubt that you face difficult challenges in the Dark Castle." He said in a dark voice.

Sora nodded.

"I'm well aware of the risks that I face…as well as the fact that I may not make it out of the world alive…" Sora said with all fear absent from his voice.

Master Yen Sid saw this, and nodded. He held out his hand and presented the parchment to Sora. Sora accepted the parchment, and quickly turned to walk away.

"Sora!" Master Yen Sid called out after him.

Sora stopped and slowly turned back towards Master Yen Sid.

"When you are surrounded by darkness…true light will shine through…that light will lead you for all eternity…so keep it close to your heart…and you will shine in any situation…" He said mysteriously.

Sora was confused, but nodded and quickly left the room. Master Yen Sid watched him leave with a concerned look on his face. Sora raced down the spiraling stairs as fast as he could, and back outside towards his ship. Roxas was still in the ship, and watched Sora race towards his ship. He grinned.

"Time to pay the hospital a visit?" Roxas asked.

"Yep…" Sora said as he still was trying to ponder what Yen Sid meant by that last blurb.

Shrugging it off, he got the ship in the air and turned the ship around, barreling towards the Twilight Town Hospital. They crossed over the town, and noticed that the sky had begun to change. It wasn't close to being completely blood red like they had witnessed in Atlantica, but there was a red hue off in the distance. Sora tried not to think about it, and put his faith in Riku and King Mickey to get their jobs done. They arrived at the hospital a short while later, and upon exiting the ship, quickly raced into the waiting room. Naminé barely had time to look up before she was tackled to the ground by Roxas. Minnie watched with a smile as the two nobodies rolled around on the floor, happy and laughing that they were seeing each other, and blissfully unaware that everyone in the room was staring at them. Minnie turned to see Sora looking around as well, and Minnie guessed that he was looking for Kairi.

"She's back in the ER dear…" Minnie informed Sora.

He nodded and quickly ran through the double doors, but was immediately held back by two burly men, and brought back out to the waiting room.

"What is going on!? I need to see Kairi!" Sora demanded.

Naminé stopped rolling upon hearing this, and quickly got up. She walked over to Sora and placed an arm over his shoulder.

"They aren't letting anyone back there, especially to see Kairi…they have her doped up on anesthetics, so that she doesn't become stimulated and hurt herself." She informed him.

"I need to see her though!" Sora pleaded.

Naminé looked at him with a sad smile. She wished nothing more then to be able to allow the two to see each other, but alas; there was nothing she could do.

"I know Sora, but unfortunately you can't…they wouldn't evenly let me back there, and I wouldn't stimulate her heart even half as much you would." She said.

"What do you mean by that?" Sora asked somewhat confused.

Naminé simply looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. Roxas walked up and placed an arm around his girlfriend.

"Sorry babe, sometimes he's just that dumb. You see what I gotta live with?" Roxas said with a snicker.

Sora looked at the two nobodies, not quite sure what they were talking about. He shrugged it off. Reluctantly, he came to the conclusion that if he wasn't going to be able to see Kairi, then there was no point in him waiting around there, as he still had a job to do.

"Okay, well Roxas and I are off to the Forbidden World; did Leon's message make it to you guys?" He asked.

Minnie and Naminé both nodded.

"Okay well…wait here until Riku shows up, and then be sure to get everyone to safety. Also, if one of you could track down Hayner and company, that would be great." Sora stated.

Minnie and Naminé nodded again.

"Okay…well we're off." Sora said reluctantly.

Queen Minnie could hear the reluctance in Sora's voice, and stood up and walked over to him.

"I sympathize with you Sora…it's not easy to leave a loved one…" She stated.

Sora looked shocked, and grew beat red.

"What are you talking about!? I don't love her! We…we're just good friends!" Sora said quickly.

Roxas and Naminé collectively rolled their eyes.

"Give it up Sora!" Roxas said to his friend.

"Everyone knows…" Naminé added.

Sora turned to Roxas.

"How do they know!? Have you been telling people!?" Sora said accusingly.

"No it's just really obvious…" Naminé admitted.

Sora looked around, his facing growing beat red. He knew that Roxas knew, and maybe Riku, but was unaware at how well known it was. He especially didn't like that Naminé knew, because she for all intents and purpose was Kairi! Queen Minnie smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Know this Sora…no matter the distance…you two will also be with each other…in here." She said as she placed a hand over Sora's heart.

Sora's face returned to its normal color, and he thought about what she said.

"Well, we should probably get going…" Roxas said, interrupting his train of thought.

Roxas and Naminé shared a quick kiss, and then Roxas disappeared into Sora. Sora looked at Naminé and motioned for her. She walked over, and he whispered into her ear. Naminé pulled away and nodded. Sora eyed her carefully.

"Only if it's the worst case scenario." He emphasized.

"I understand." She said.

Sora looked at Queen Minnie and smiled, which was returned. Sora began to walk out.

"Sora!" Queen Minnie called out after him.

He turned around.

"Nice suit!" She said.

"It is nice…" Naminé nodded in agreement.

Sora's faced turned red, as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He waved again, and raced out the door. He climbed aboard the ship, and unrolled the parchment. It was an older map of the worlds, with all of the ones that Sora visited, but some were completely foreign to Sora. He looked at the various worlds that he hadn't heard off, before finally spotting one that said "Forbidden". He estimated the coordinates, and punched them into the computer. It would be a long flight, so Sora set the ship on autopilot, and walked off to change into his battle garb.

_Back at the hospital:_

The doctors were having a hell of a time trying to restrain Kairi, who had apparently awoken while Sora was in the hospital. There were no less than four fully grown men trying to get her back into bed, and the nurses were frantically trying to get a new anesthetic that was more powerful. Kairi was desperately trying to get out to the waiting room. Her appearance had suffered from being in bed for so long as her face was greasy, and her once beautiful hair was a mess. Her blue eyes were flashing wildly, while her eye area was puffy. She scratched and clawed towards the double doors as she tried to get to the only thing that mattered to her at the moment.

"I WANT TO SEE SORA!!" She screamed wildly.

Finally, the nurse was able to stick Kairi with a needle and inject her with the anesthetics. Kairi still fought, but after a few minutes the anesthetics took hold and Kairi drifted back off to sleep, much to the relief of the orderlies, who placed her back in bed.

_Meanwhile: _

Maleficent was busy plotting the demise of Riku. She glanced around the room, and a smile curled on her lip.

"This will do perfectly…" She snickered to herself.

She walked out of the room. She thought about what she still had left to do, but realized that she was all finished. She had warned Ankoku, and Pete, and had prepared her castle for Riku. She made her way over to a large window that overlooked the World that Never Was. She smiled as she thought of the pain that was to be inflicted on Riku.

"Everyone of us has something in our past that we would like to forget…but unfortunately for you Riku…your dark past is about to become…your dark present!" She said with glee.

She laughed loudly at this though, as the green flames grew higher and higher.

_In the Forbidden World: _

Ankoku was marveling at the machine that lay before him, and watched it with a glee that was usually reserved for children on Christmas morning.

"Soon this universe will be fully covered, and my revenge will be complete!" He said with the wild look returning in his eye.

He reached up and touched his scar, and rubbed it, his expression changed from glee to anger as he remembered all the torturous experiments that were performed on him all those years ago.

"This universe will know the pain that I felt… all the anger…depression…and the feeling of loneliness..." He said as his snarl formed back into a sneer.

"And the beautiful thing is…there is no one that can stop me." He sneered.

"Not even you Sora…not even you!" He said with an evil laugh.

_At Disney Castle: _

The gummi ship quietly docked in the hangar of Disney Castle, and King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy set foot on the castle grounds for the first time in what seemed to be a long time. They all held their weapons at the ready, half expecting a swarm of heartless to pop out at them at a moment's notice. They slowly made their way into the garden. Usually, the silver glow of the moon would awaken the sleeping petals, but tonight; thick black clouds created a veil, allowing very little light to pass through. The trio crept along the hedges, and quietly made their way to the gate that led inside the castle.

"So far so good…" Donald said silently, as he approached the door.

Almost as soon as he uttered those words, swarms of heartless appeared out of nowhere. Mickey and company quickly got into their battle stances, and raced forward to meet the new challenge. From a lookout post high above, Pete watched with great interest as more and more heartless came out from random parts of the garden. Mickey and his partners, fought off the first batch of heartless, then upon seeing the reinforcements, quickly made their way into the castle. They slammed the door behind them, and walked along the dark corridor. Mickey looked at his companions.

"We need to find our friends and get them to the Hall of the Cornerstone, where they will be safe!" He said, with urgency in his voice.

The duo nodded, and they quickly went off on their quest.

_Back in the World that Never Was:_

Riku's ship touched down, in the middle of the deserted street. He slowly got out and stood in the familiar world. The flicker of a neon billboard was the only light on the street, as he began walking. A flood of memories came rushing back to him, such as the first time he encountered Roxas, or how he and Sora defeated Xemnas. He pulled himself away from these memories and gazed at the tall ominous shape of Xemnas's Castle off in the distance. His eyes hardened, and he raced towards the castle, where unbeknownst to Riku, Maleficent was waiting with a plan most vile.

_Meanwhile:_

"Sora…we're here!" Roxas called out as he gazed upon the barren wasteland that lay before him.

Sora emerged from the bed room, no longer in the suit, but back into his regular battle clothes. Roxas looked at Sora, and recognized the familiar gleam in his eye. It was the same one that he saw in Sora when he faced off with Xemnas; the thrill of battle. Sora spotted a castle off in the distance, and quickly set the ship down about 300 yards away.

"Why are we landing so far away?" Roxas asked.

"I didn't want to give our arrival away." Sora stated curtly.

Sora did a few quick stretching exercises, and then pulled out his trusty Keyblade. He rummaged in his pocket, and pulled out two small objects that Roxas recognized as key chains. Sora stared at the two, as if he was deciding which one he was going to use, before ultimately choosing the Oblivion. He quickly attached the dark crown key chain to his blade, and within seconds the blade had transformed into the cold, black, Oblivion Keyblade. Sora looked up at Roxas; the once carefree attitude was gone from Sora's face, he was in battle mode now.

"You ready?" Roxas asked.

Sora nodded and the ship opened its doors. Sora walked out onto the desolate wasteland, and immediately felt the sting of depression. All was quiet, with not a trace of wind. The sky was red, and from the distance, Sora could see the machine firing upwards into the dreary sky. Roxas came out from the ship and immediately felt the depression and gloom that came with the area as well. He quickly went inside Sora.

"I think it would be better if I stayed inside…you know…so that I won't be a distraction." Roxas said quickly.

Sora paid no attention, as his eyes were focused on what lay ahead. With his Keyblade at the ready, Sora began the long trek towards the Dark Castle…and the evil Ankoku, who waited inside.

**End of Chapter 19**

_Well there you are! I hope you enjoyed this and be sure to catch chapter 20 sometime later this week!_

_Later!_


	20. Storming the Castle

_As promised here is chapter 20, it's not very long but it will set up several very important plots, not only for the remainder of Fugitive Hearts but for the sequel which has an estimated time of arrival in December of 2007. As for Fugitive Hearts, we are nearing the end. Chapter 20 is really the start of the end of this story. I would like to thank you all for reading and giving reviews, and I hope that you all will look out for my new material that will be coming out as early as September. _

_Enjoy!_

_Ankoku is mine._

**Chapter 20: Storming the Castle**

The castle loomed large over Sora as he quietly approached the dreary looking structure. He looked at the large door that led to the castle. It was old and worn, with a faded brass door knob. Upon closer inspection he could see some strange symbol that had similarities in style to the heartless symbol, but it was noticeably different. The top was still in the shape of a heart on top, but the bottom had branched out into two separate points jutting out at the right and left bottom corners of the heart. In the middle of the heart was a smaller symbol. It was a straight hilt sword, with some strange markings on it. There were two curved daggers that overlapped the sword, which had markings on them as well.

"This is weird…" Sora said to himself as he gazed at the strange symbol, and attempted to open the door.

To his surprise the door actually opened. He peered inside, to find a dimly lit foyer. There were old regal paintings of old men that he never saw in any history book that hung off the walls. There were also old, dusty banners which had swords and lions on them as well. He looked around for a staircase in hopes of making it to the roof to stop the machine, but couldn't find one. He took a step towards a door that he spotted in front of him, but as he did, a swarm of heartless sprang up around him in a circle. They were all shadow heartless, but another row sprang up almost a few seconds later, and they began inching closer to Sora. Sora smirked at this. It had been far too long since he had been able to use his Keyblade and now he was itching to use it.

"Man this feels good!" Sora said as he gripped his Keyblade.

"Yeah yeah…hurry up and kill them I'm bored here!" Roxas said,

With great agility, Sora sprung in to action; wiping out three heartless with one swing of his Keyblade. The other heartless seemed to recoil by this display, but continued towards Sora, although they all slowly but surely met the same fate. With the heartless vanquished, Sora moved on into the next room, where he again was besieged by heartless. Again Sora was able to fight them off, but as soon as he did, another batch sprang up in their place.

"Man, these guys just don't give up!" Sora said, as he continued slicing through the growing ranks of heartless.

More heartless sprang up in the area, and Sora began looking for various exits. He spotted a door, but there was a horde of shadows in front of it. He quickly raised his Keyblade in the air.

"Thundaga!" He yelled.

A large cloud formed in the room, and from it burst forth several bolts of lightning. The lightning struck most of the heartless in the room, defeating them, but more importantly, it created a path towards the door. Sora sprinted towards the door and opened it. He slammed it shut, and took out any heartless that came through the door. Once that was finished he recalled his Keyblade and looked around at the new room. There wasn't a single heartless to be found in the room. Several suits of armor were lined along the wall, and a huge regal carpet was laid out in middle of the large room. He looked up and saw five chandlers with all the candles lit, lighting up the room. Four of them were each in the four corners of the room and the fifth was in the middle of the room. There was a door at the opposite end of the room, and Sora began walking towards it. Sora became uncomfortable for some unknown reason as he walked across the carpet.

"Something doesn't seem right…" Sora said in his head to Roxas.

"You worry too much." Roxas said.

Suddenly, Sora heard a noise from behind him. He quickly whirled around, but nothing was there. Suddenly one of the chandlers went out. Sora looked up and saw each chandler in a corner of the room until only the middle one was lit.

"Okay…maybe I'm a little worried now." Roxas confided in Sora.

Sora heard something behind him, and he quickly spun around. He gazed at the figure standing behind him and his rage boiled over. There decked out in a cloak, was the man that he saw while he was in the fortress, the one that was responsible for the attacks: the Sora duplicate.

"YOU!" Sora roared his face flushed with anger.

The duplicate said nothing, merely grinned back at Sora, which only served to further enrage him. Sora lunged at the duplicate with his Keyblade, but the figure vanished. Sora looked around but saw only darkness. Suddenly, a sharp blow nailed Sora in the face and he stumbled back. He glared hard at the duplicate, who continued to grin. He lunged again, and the same thing happened. Again and again Sora would attack, but his rage would leave him open to more physical attacks from the duplicate, who was using the darkness in the room to his full advantage. Sora's face was beginning to show puffiness, and Sora was breathing heavily as well. He lunged again, hoping that he would find his mark. Much to his chagrin, the figure was able to dodge him yet again. This time however, the figure produced a Keyblade and attacked Sora. Sora was able to defend against the onslaught, and quickly was able to counter and attacked the duplicate. The grin was all but gone from the duplicate's face, as it was now trying desperately to fend off the grinning Sora's attacks. Sora's blows became more and more devastating. The duplicate was on his knees, and Sora was poised to deliver the final blow.

"This is for tarnishing my name!" Sora roared, as he took a huge swipe that the duplicate barely blocked.

"This is for attacking the King!" He yelled again, and delivered a blow that knocked the blade from the duplicate's hand.

The duplicate looked up at Sora with fear in its eyes, but found no sympathy in Sora's face. Sora's blue eyes were now cold and almost black, the rage seething throughout his whole body.

"And this…is for hurting Kairi!" He screamed as he let his blade fly. The blade caught the duplicate across the chest.

The duplicate began bleeding a black, murky liquid; and the duplicate fell over. The figure of the duplicate eventually became nothing more than a puddle of the black liquid. Sora gazed at it for a second, before turning away and walking towards the door, to explore the remainder of the castle.

"Note to self…" Roxas thought to himself.

"Maybe telling the bunny story isn't the best idea…"

_Back at Disney Castle: _

King Mickey and his partners were fighting all throughout the castle, in an effort to make their way down into the dungeon. King Mickey was slashing through a soldier heartless, but didn't see the fat body coming up behind him. Fortunately for him, Goofy was able to take the fat body out with a well placed shield toss. They continued down the rarely used dungeon, fighting heartless all the way down.

"We're almost there…" Mickey yelled as he diced another soldier in two.

They raced down a flight of steps, before they came into a small area with a bolted door. There was swarm of shadows and soldiers in the area, as well as a couple large bodies. Mickey quickly went to work, taking out as many heartless as he could, while Goofy was using his tornado technique to clear out several batches. Donald was launching any spell that he could think of.

"Blizzaga!" Donald yelled.

A group of heartless froze in place, and Goofy smashed into them with a charge attack. Goofy grinned at Donald, who shared the grin. Mickey finished off the last heartless, and the trio gave out a celebratory cheer. Mickey tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Stand back everybody!" Goofy yelled as he took a headlong charge at the door.

CRASH!

The door and Goofy fell to the ground and the inhabitants of the dingy cell looked fearfully at the new intruder. Goofy perked his head up and let out a big grin to the scared inhabitants.

"Hyuck! Hi guys!" He said.

They all breathed sighs of relief as they realized it was Goofy. He slowly got up, but was tackled to the ground by his son Max. King Mickey then entered the room and he too was tackled, this time by his faithful dog Pluto. Donald was the next to emerge into the room as he frantically searched for his wife Daisy.

"Daisy! Where are you!?" He screamed out.

"I'm right here Donald!" Daisy said running up him, and throwing herself into his arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay Daisy!" Donald said with relief.

They kissed, and then Daisy looked into his eyes, as she began to blush a little.

"Donald…there's something I need to tell you…" She said slowly, while looking to the ground.

Everyone in the room stopped and stared at the two ducks. Everyone seemed to know what she was going to say, but the real question was how Donald would react to the news.

"Donald…I'm pregnant." She finally said, and looked into his eyes with uncertainty.

Everyone shifted their gaze to Donald to see what his reaction would be. Donald's face showed initial shock, but slowly it turned to a big grin.

"Whoo hoo!!! I'm going to be a Daddy!!" Donald said as he began racing around the room.

It was a warm moment for everyone who had seen nothing but heartbreak and despair for so long. King Mickey smiled at this display of love, but was quick to bring everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

"I hate be a wet blanket, but we still are in danger here. We need to get you all to the Hall of the Cornerstone, and the castle is swarming with heartless." He warned everyone.

"We are going to move out in a set formation. I will lead, and Goofy and Donald will be in the back." He said as he looked at the nodding faces.

"Alright guys let's move out!" King Mickey said as the caravan made their way out of the dungeon and back into the main hall.

_In the World that Never Was:_

Riku was making his way down the dark and narrow streets of the World that Never Was, in route to the castle. He made his way to the large steel doors of the castle, and quickly made his way inside. Almost immediately upon entering the castle, he was attacked by heartless. They were mostly shadow heartless, and they were easily defeated by Riku. He pressed on into the next area, and defeated the heartless that were in that room as well.

"This is awfully easy…" Riku thought to himself.

He continued slicing and dicing the various heartless as he made his way through the various rooms of the castle. He finally came to a rather large room, with no other way to go other than the way that he came out. He looked around the room, but he couldn't see anything worth taking a closer look at. He turned around and was about to leave, when there was a large crash behind him. The force of the crash sent Riku off his feet. A large roar brought him back to his feet, and he whirled around to spy a Behemoth heartless. The creature let out another roar and began walking towards Riku. The behemoth's horn began to glow, and Riku quickly dodged out of the way as lightning bolts reigned down in a circle around the beast. Riku was quickly back to his feet and raced towards the legs of the beast. The beast brought his legs in the air and brought them down in an attempt to crush Riku. Riku was again able to quickly roll out of the way and then jump up to avoid the aftershock of the beast's hooves. He quickly got behind the beast and leapt onto its back. He ran up the back of the beast, as it roared in disapproval. He quickly began wailing away at the creature's horn, which brought the creature to its knees. Riku quickly jumped down and continued his assault on the creature's horn, before it staggered towards its feet and Riku had to dodge another lightning attack. Riku quickly went about the same method to battle the large heartless.

"It's good that Sora showed me how to deal with this heartless." Riku thought to himself, as he continued his assault on the creature's horn.

He continued the process for a bit longer, before finally the creature fell and went back into darkness. Riku quickly recalled his Keyblade and wiped the sweat from his brow. He was about to walk out of the room, when he saw a door form on the opposite side of the room. Curiosity struck Riku as he approached the door and examined it. Other than the fact that it appeared mysteriously out of nowhere, it really didn't seem that unusual. Riku gripped the knob and slowly twisted. The door opened and led into another room. Riku couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt the sudden urge to enter the room. He slowly walked into the room, and the door slammed shut behind him and then disappeared. Riku turned and raced back to the wall but couldn't find a way to bring the door back.

"Just great…" Riku muttered to himself.

Suddenly a voice cut through the room, and brought a chill to Riku's spine.

"I've been waiting for you Riku." The voice rang out.

Riku spun around.

"Who is it!? Who's there!?" Riku called out as he brought his Keyblade out.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize me Riku…after all I am essentially you." The voice responded.

The voice was rather deep, definitely a male's voice, but Riku was still unable to identify who it belonged to. He squinted into the darkness, but could only make out a large figure.

"Look…I don't know who you are, but if you want to fight, then get out here and let's fight!" Riku said, as his feet slid into a fighting stance.

"You can't fight me Riku…otherwise you will be fighting yourself." The voice called out.

"I don't know what you are talking about…but you are starting to piss me off!" Riku said growing irritated.

"I am not a physical being…I am your memory…your dark and mysterious past. All the secrets…all the lies…everyone that you betrayed…" The voice said ominously.

"…Shut up!" Riku said his voice quivering a little bit.

"Show yourself!"

Riku could make out the figure slowly making his way towards him. Beads of sweat began to form on Riku's face, and he gripped his Keyblade tighter. The figure emerged from the shadows, and Riku's jaw dropped. He recognized the figure immediately despite its transparency. The long silver hair that spiked up in the middle and over the right and left ear, the bronze skin, and the yellowish red eyes, and the devilish grin brought a look of horror to Riku's face. His eyes burned as they gazed on the man whose image he had stolen for himself as a disguise for close to a year.

"X…Xenahort!" Riku gasped.

The image of Xenahort grinned at Riku.

"No…not Xenahort…you!" The figure said with an evil grin.

**End of Chapter 20 **

_Dun dun dun! I will live you with this cliff hanger and I hope to be able to get chapter 21 up here ASAP. It will be a very important chapter not only for Fugitive Hearts but the sequel when it makes its appearance. If you need something to do for fun, I recommend seeing the Simpsons Movie. If you like the show it will be definitely worth your time and money._

_See you later!_


	21. Old Wounds

13

_Hello everyone! I must apologize for the lateness of this post, it was actually all but ready to go on Wed, but I got violently ill and had to put it off until I felt better, which I now do so here is the chapter! _

_This will be the most controversial chapter that I have ever written, and I know there will be some backlash from it, but I am prepared to accept it and continue with this story, even if everyone else stops reading it. _

_So here is chapter 21._

**Chapter 21: Old Wounds**

"Wha…what are you talking about?" Riku said as he watched the ghostly figure that stood in front of him.

"You can't be real!" He cried out.

The haunting image smiled and laughed at Riku.

"Physically I'm not, but mentally I am." The ghost said.

"Your mind is a very interesting one Riku, so many memories and bad thoughts still remain, even though you have done everything in your power to convince everyone that you are fine." Xenahort stated.

"S…shut up!" Riku said, his voice quivering even more at the mention of his alleged dark past.

This seemed to fuel the apparition, and he began to take deeper cuts into Riku's psyche.

"Admit it Riku…you still crave the darkness! You enjoyed it so much! Stop suppressing your feelings!" Xenahort accused.

"NO!" Riku said, trying so hard to make the ghost go away.

Xenahort continued to prod at Riku, but he attempted to shield any signs of weakness. The specter sniggered at this.

"You have prepped your mind well for situations like this haven't you Riku? As if you knew you would be tested at some point." Xenahort surmised.

Riku glared at him.

"I don't belong in darkness anymore, and while there still may be darkness in my heart, my friends and family are my anchors to the light!" Riku said through gritted teeth.

Xenahort snorted at this statement, gazing at Riku with a vicious smile.

"Oh really? Would you be talking about the same friends who have suffered so much because of you? He queried.

"And what in your life have you done that would lead your parents to be proud of you?" The ghost followed up.

With that statement the wraithlike figure of Xenahort disappeared and two new apparitions emerged from the darkness. Riku looked in stunned silence as his mother and father walked towards him, both with difficult to read faces. His father was tall and slender with silver hair that was done in the same way that Riku's was. His green eyes pierced out through his eyeglasses and cast a firm look towards Riku. He dressed well, with pressed khaki pants and a long white dress shirt, covered up by a navy blue sweater. His mother's blue eyes gazed out on him with a sad forlorn look, and her wavy blond hair was done up in a bun. She dressed a tad less conservative then her husband, opting for a flowery white skirt, with a short sleeve lime green dress shirt, with the top button undone. The looks that Riku received from his parents did little to help his already damaged self-esteem.

"Well well dear, it appears that our bad egg of a son is here." His father said sharply.

Riku looked to the ground.

"Riku…do you have any idea how much we've had to worry about you these past few years?" His mother scolded.

"Never mind that! How do you explain the way that you've acted!? All those horrible things that we heard that you did!? How can you explain all of that?" His father demanded to know.

"All the things that people say…how they look as us, as the parents of an outlaw…I…I'm ashamed to call you my son!" His mother forced out.

His mother then buried her head into his father's shoulder and began weeping uncontrollably. His father wrapped his arms around his wife, and glared at his son.

"You're no son of mine!" He snarled, as he and his wife disappeared back into the shadows.

Riku stood motionless, and Xenahort reappeared.

"Not a glowing endorsement there Riku…but maybe your friends will have better things to say in your defense." He snickered.

"I mean, you've never done anything to disappoint them have you? He said as he disappeared back into the shadows.

Riku watched with stunned silence as the ghostly figures of Sora and Kairi appeared in place of Xenahort. Their faces were angry, far unlike anything that he had ever seen. They seemed to bore holes in Riku's face with their eyes.

"Sora…Kairi…" Riku began quietly.

"Shut up!" Sora snapped.

"No one has suffered more than us at the hands of you!" Kairi continued.

"How hard did I struggle to find you and Kairi? I put my life on the line for you two! And what were you out doing? You were riding high alongside Maleficent, doing everything in your power to keep me from Kairi and make my life a living hell!" Sora accused.

"But that's nothing new for you Riku!" Kairi butted in.

"You've been trying to keep us from each other all your life! Ever since I came here, you have gone out of your way to make sure that Sora and I would never be able to be alone together!" Kairi continued.

Riku was about to mount some level of protest, but the death stare that Kairi gave him, silenced him.

"You were always tagging along when ever Sora and I would go to the movies, and were always trying to get me alone. Do you know why I always insisted that we would bring Sora along? Because I didn't want to be alone with you! The only reason that we hung out with you is because we felt sorry for you!" Kairi finished.

Riku's Keyblade went back into him, as those words cut into him more so than any physical attack could do. Sora watched this and continued the verbal assault.

"After that debacle with Maleficent, you then decide that you needed to hide from me, because you _supposedly_ felt ashamed of what you had done. Never mind the fact that you knew I had forgiven you and was searching the universe for you; it didn't matter because you wanted to be selfish! You watched us struggle to find you, periodically showing up to fight me or to be mysterious! You are pathetic!" Sora screamed angrily.

Riku looked to the ground. He was ashamed of all that he had done to Sora and Kairi, and that he had so willingly given in to the power of darkness.

"But you know what? I forgave you for that, and foolishly thought that you had changed; and that you would no longer be controlled by the darkness. Well, I was sure wrong about that wasn't I?" Sora shouted.

Riku turned away, knowing what was coming.

"You know in your mind and heart, that I would never lay hands on Kairi. The mere fact that you accused me of such a heinous act was bad enough, but you then took it too far! You brutalized me at any given opportunity, chased me around the entire universe, and even tried to kill me!" Sora screamed at Riku.

Riku winced at this.

"Is that all that you are Riku? Are you just a ticking time bomb waiting to go off? Are you just a dangerous pawn that can be easily manipulated by whoever wants to get at Sora and myself?" Kairi asked.

Riku looked into her angry eyes, wanting to denounce everything that she said, but couldn't.

"You are a danger to everyone around you Riku!" Sora added.

"Why don't you do us both a favor and just leave us alone! We don't need you!" Kairi said, as she wrapped her arm around Sora's waist, who nodded in agreement.

Riku looked helpless at his friends, who disappeared into the background. The ghostly Xenahort re-emerged from the shadows with a grin on his face.

"Ouch…just…ouch." He said, feigning wound.

Riku was a wreck, all his worst dreams were coming to life right in front of his eyes, every nightmare that he had ever had was being laid out in one gigantic display.

"Stop it…that's enough!" Riku cried out.

Xenahort smiled menacingly.

"My dear boy, we haven't even got to the best one." Xenahort stated as his eyes lit up.

"One that you have been hiding since that fateful day when the door to your precious world opened…" He said as his lip curled up into a sneer.

Riku looked at him with curiosity wondering what he could be mentioning.

"Kairi wasn't the only girl on the island that night was she?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Riku's eyes grew wide as saucers.

"NOOO!!!" He roared.

Riku quickly called his Keyblade back and he lunged at the spirit. With a primal roar, he let loose with a devastating horizontal slice. The figure disappeared following the attack, as Riku panted heavily. He slowly stood up and recalled his Keyblade.

"May I continue now?" the voice of Xenahort called out from behind him.

Riku spun around, and upon seeing the grinning phantom, quickly lunged forth again with his Keyblade. He was about to strike, when suddenly the figure of Xenahort vanished, and in his place stood a young teenage girl with raven hair and pale brown eyes. She wore a white sundress, which had faded blue waves on the bottom, and white sandals. The dress appeared to be worn seemingly a hand me down. Riku dropped his Keyblade and literally fell to his knees upon seeing this new vision. The girl stared at him and said nothing. Riku's lip trembled as Xenahort re-emerged alongside the girl.

"I think this young lady needs no introduction…don't you agree Riku?" Xenahort asked with a mocking tone.

Riku said nothing, unable to take his eyes of the girl, as he remembered back to that fateful night.

_Flashback: _

"Come on Selene I wanna show you something!" Riku called out to the raven haired girl trailing him and looking nervously at the sky.

"Riku…it looks like there is a bad storm coming…we should get home…" Selene called out.

"Stop worrying!" He said as he approached the small boat that lead out to Destiny Island.

Riku clambered on to the boat and held out his hand for Selene to grasp to come on board. Selene looked nervously at the small boat, as her worn, white, sundress flapped up in the wind.

"I don't know Riku…" She said quietly.

"Come on Selene…is this a face you can't trust?" He said smiling at her.

She blushed a little bit, and slowly grabbed his hand. As she did; her heart fluttered a little bit. Riku led her into the boat, and began rowing towards the island. It was a little cramped, but it didn't matter to Selene. Selene looked nervously at the black clouds that were forming above the island. She looked back at Riku, who was busy rowing towards the island. She blushed again as he looked at her and flashed a grin. She had always liked Riku, ever since she had moved to Destiny City two years ago and met him that day in school. She was an outcast, never fully accepted, and often ridiculed by those who took her shyness and quiet nature as a sign of arrogance. She met Riku outside of the school one day while she was getting bullied by a group of students. One of the girls in the group knocked her to the ground, and the guys with them were busy destroying her books. Riku apparently saw this going on and stood up for her, fighting off the other boys, and scaring off the girls. She began spending a lot more time with Riku, and since they were in similar classes they were able to talk often. While shy at first, she found Riku easy to talk to and very comforting. She had met Sora once or twice, and thought that he was nice, but she was still scared about him, given the nature of the other students. She had never met the other girl that Riku had talked about named Kairi, as they had no classes and she was usually in another part of the school with Sora. There was a bit of jealously towards Kairi for Selene, simply by the way that Riku spoke of her. She never went outside, opting instead to stay inside and read books. She never hung out with Sora, Riku, and Kairi when they were together either, not because of anything wrong with them, merely because of her experiences with the other students at the school. The only time that she came outside was if Riku was alone. Riku looked at her, seemingly lost in thought, and looking down into her lap and blushing.

"Are you okay?" Riku asked.

"F…fine…" She stuttered.

"You know…" Riku began.

"You should really consider joining us on the journey to other worlds…" Riku said slowly.

She looked at him with a light pink glow on her face.

"I…I don't know…" She said quietly.

"Come on! You wouldn't be the only girl…Kairi is coming, and she's really nice!" He said.

"But…why would you want to leave…? It's so peaceful here…" She asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Riku said bewildered.

"It's boring here, and don't forget…those kids treat you like garbage!" Riku stated.

Selene looked down at the ground.

"We're not like them…you'd be accepted with us." He stated in a more comforting tone.

She looked into his eyes. She wanted to say yes, but she was afraid…afraid that Sora and Kairi would treat her as an outcast, and who knows; they might turn Riku against her.

"I don't know…" She said as she turned away.

Riku watched her and was about to say something, but decided against it as he saw the shoreline fast approaching. He quickly prepared for the ship to dock, and quickly jumped out and dragged the ship to shore. The wind had really begun to pick up, and suddenly rain began to fall. There was even the sound of thunder sound off into the distance. He looked at Selene, who quickly began covering her head from the falling rain. Riku quickly grabbed her hand and raced across the beach, kicking up wet sand as they went along. Riku raced towards his and Sora's secret spot, with Selene in tow. He quickly brushed the leaves that covered it out of the way and darted into the cave. He panted and looked back at Selene, who was wringing out her dress. Riku gazed at her with a hint of admiration; he had never noticed how beautiful she could be, even when she wasn't looking her best. Riku quickly snapped out of it, and remembered that the raft was out in this storm! He raced out of the room, but stopped at the entrance and turned back to Selene.

"Stay here, I need to check on the raft, I'll be right back." He said as he raced out of the room.

He raced outside braving the weather in order to get to the raft that the three of them had worked so long and so hard on. He raced down the beach as the wind tried to force him back, and the rain continued to pound on him. He finally came to where the raft was, but was stunned to find it gone. He looked out in the choppy waters, and saw hunks of broken wood and the remnants of a sail being tossed around by the unforgiving sea.

"Damnit!" Riku cried out in anguish.

All his hopes and dreams of finding another world vanished upon viewing the tattered remains of the raft. The wind picked up and lightning cracked in the night sky. Riku quickly tore himself away from the sight of the broken raft, and ran back towards the secret spot. As he approached the cave he heard Selene scream. He quickly darted inside the cave. Selene stood there surrounded by shadowy ball with small black creatures with yellow eyes dancing around.

"SELENE!" Riku cried out, as he lunged towards her.

Before Riku could get to her, a figure in a brown robe appeared in front of him.

"Do not fear the darkness…embrace it…and it will lead you to what you want most…" The figure said mysteriously.

"Wha…what do you mean?" Riku asked as he looked from the hooded figure to Selene.

"The darkness holds many possibilities for you…you could have power…fortune…seek new worlds…" The figure continued.

"RIKU! Please help!" Selene cried as the shadow began to slowly cover her.

"…new worlds…?" Riku said, seemingly intrigued by the idea.

"Riku!" Selene pleaded desperately.

"The door is open…this world has been connected to the other worlds…Use this knowledge well…" The figure said as he disappeared.

The strange creatures quietly left the cave, out into the island, leaving Riku and Selene alone. Riku pondered what the figure had said, before another cry from Selene interrupted his concentration.

"Riku!! Help me!!" She cried with tears beginning to flow.

Riku looked at her with excited eyes.

"Selene…relax…just accept it! You can have all the power that you've ever wanted! You can travel to new worlds with me!" He said with a grin.

"No! This isn't what I want Riku! This isn't what I want!" She screamed.

"Just relax…and don't fear the darkness…" Riku said.

"I'll see you soon…" He finished as he walked out of the cave.

"RIKU!!! RIKU!!!!" Selene cried out after him, as the darkness slowly but surely swallowed her.

Riku meanwhile had walked over towards his area, where the Paopou tree was, and gazed out at the sea, and thought about all the possibilities that lay open to him now. He glanced up and saw a gigantic black sphere hanging in sky. He eyed the sphere with wonder and amazement for what seemed like forever, when all of a sudden he heard footsteps racing up towards him. He turned around and saw Sora running up to him.

"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!" Sora called out frantically.

"The door has opened..." Riku said serenely.

"What?" Sora asked, bewildered by his friend's response.

"The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!" Riku explained with a hint of glee.

"What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kairi!" Sora screamed.

"Kairi's coming with us! Once we step through, we might not be able to

come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But

this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the

darkness!" Riku said to Sora.

Sora looked at his friend, who seemed not quite right.

"Riku!" He called out desperately to his friend.

Just then two shadowy spheres engulfed the two of them, much as they had done to Selene just a few minutes earlier. Riku held out his hand for Sora to grab, but Sora was reluctant to take it. Riku shrugged and allowed himself to go within the darkness, towards realizing his dreams, and discovering new worlds. Selene was probably already there, and Sora and Kairi would no doubt follow him; he just felt it to be true.

_End Flashback:_

Riku remembered all of this, and remembered how he had gotten sidetracked with Maleficent, who had used him as a pawn in order to achieve her goals of world domination. He forgot all about Selene; she became another bit player in his life, as he tried so hard to do something that Sora couldn't do. He then remembered, how he had become a pawn of Xenahort, and the trials and tribulations that he undertook to restore himself to his usual self. It was only after this that he remembered what had happened to Selene. Rather than telling others about it, he bottled the shame and grief that he felt over her disappearance, and kept it a secret. She had no parents, as she had lived in the orphanage. It was assumed that she just left in the middle of the night one night and never returned, as so many had done before. She had no real friends other than Riku, and people sort of just forgot about her. Riku looked at the vision before him, and tried to come up with something, some formation of words to say to her; but nothing came to mind.

"Selene…" Riku choked out.

He reached out to her with his hand, with a pleading look in his eye. To his dismay, she took a few steps back, and stood behind Xenahort as if he was a barrier between the two. Riku's arm went limp, and felt as if a brick had just struck him in the face. Xenahort watched this whole scene with devilish glee.

"Your mind is not off-limits to anyone Riku!" He gloated.

Riku didn't hear him, as his eyes were focused on Selene, begging her to come with him, to forgive him for his past misdeeds. However, she rebuked his pleas, by continuing to back away from him. Xenahort watched this continue for a few seconds longer, before finally stepping in.

"Well Riku, I believe that we have done quite enough…we shall take our physical leave from you…" Xenahort said as he held his hand out to Selene.

She looked at Xenahort's outstretched hand and then back at Riku. She then slowly took Xenahort's hand.

"NO!! PLEASE DON'T GO!" Riku cried out as he crawled towards them.

Xenahort smiled at this display of weakness.

"Oh don't worry Riku…we aren't gone…we will always be with you…as the darkness in your heart!" He sneered as they vanished into thin air.

"NOOO!" Riku bellowed in desperation as the most haunting memory of his past vanished in front of his face.

Tears welled up into his eyes and he slammed his fist down onto the ground repeatedly.

"No...no…I should have saved her…" He moaned.

Suddenly, a new voice cut through the air like a cold dagger piercing through a heart.

"How touchingly pathetic." The new voice called out.

Riku recognized the voice immediately, and wiping the sobs away from his face, turned to face the sorceress that had corrupted him all those years ago.

"Maleficent…" Riku said in a low, primal growl.

Maleficent merely smirked back at her former protégé.

"Hail and well met…Riku." She said as her eyes gazed over her adversary.

**End of Chapter 21**

_Now, before you clog up my email box and review page with hatred of this chapter, hear me out. _

_This is a fan fic, it is not canonical to the rest of Kingdom Hearts, nor will it ever be. I merely wanted to create a story using the basis of Kingdom Hearts, but add in my own ideas for personal enjoyment, and hopefully for the enjoyment of some of you! Something's may not mesh with the game, but neither does making Sora and Riku gay now does it? See…I'm not the only one out there that does wild and crazy fan fic ideas!_

_If you don't like it…well I'm sorry, but there are plenty of other fan fics out there to read, I recommend Shire Folk's work: The Fire in his Heart, or you can just wait until the next Kingdom Hearts game comes out to continue the actual story. _

_For those of you that are intrigued, be prepared to find out many more new and exciting things in later chapters and in the upcoming sequel, which is turning out to be awesome. _

_So keep reading and have a good week everyone! The next chapter will be up before Friday. _

_Take care! _


	22. Facing the Past

13

_Alright here comes Chapter 22, Which is the 2__nd__ longest chapter to date at this point. _

_I do not own any of the characters in this chapter. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 22: Facing the Past **

"How did you like my little display?" Maleficent asked, the confidence seemingly oozing out of her voice.

"You…you did this?" Riku stammered, his temperature slowing rising.

"But of course, it was simply a matter of getting into your brain, and once we were there, we found all sorts of wonderful information!" Maleficent said while sneering.

"You…You…BITCH!" Riku roared and charged with his Keyblade drawn towards Maleficent.

Maleficent made no attempt to defend herself, rather reveling in the attempt that Riku was making. As Riku drew within roughly 15 yards away from her, she made a wave of her staff, and a black cloud formed in front of her. Riku continued running at her, and let loose with a strike from his Keyblade. His blade caught nothing, as Maleficent had moved. He twirled around and spotted her sniggering in a corner of the room.

"You've grown soft Riku." She said coolly.

Riku gnashed his teeth together and raced after her again, but his attempted attack was again thwarted by Maleficent's ability to move to a different part of the room. She reappeared and laughed again at Riku's feeble efforts.

"You used to have such promise…I saw in you a great pupil that could one day take over my reign of darkness…but now I see a pathetic excuse for a soul, who's biggest weakness…is a woman." Maleficent chided as she gazed at her adversary.

"I HAVE HEARD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH FROM YOU!!" Riku roared as he again tore at Maleficent.

He quickly approached her, with Maleficent making no attempt to flee, fully expecting another rage induced, and poorly attempted attack. This time he used a fake out maneuver that he had taught himself and had been practicing for awhile. He barreled along the ground until he was roughly ten feet away, and then he vanished. Maleficent smiled at the trick and waited for Riku to reappear. He finally did, and delivered a huge vertical slice, of which again Maleficent avoided.

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU MALEFICENT!" Riku screamed.

"Sure…ruin another life…" came a response, but the voice wasn't Maleficent's.

Riku turned around to see Selene standing in front of him, with a fire burning in her eyes. His eyes grew wide with shock, and his tongue became tied. Selene began power walking towards Riku, who struggled to find the words to say.

"You're not real…" He said quietly.

"Are you telling me…or trying to convince yourself?" Selene said stopping just short of Riku.

"You ruined my life Riku! You can never give me that back!" She yelled at him.

Riku stood their and looked down at his feet.

"I…I wasn't myself…" He stammered out.

"Of course you weren't…you're just a ticking time bomb like I said you were!" Kairi's voice rang out as she and Sora reappeared.

"I guess you've ruined quite a bit of lives haven't you boy?" His father said, as he and Riku's mother also came forward from the shadows.

Riku looked around in anguish as all the visions returned and continued to erode at his mental state with their words. They circled him and called out various phrases, each which were like a dagger to Riku's heart.

"I think there is only one thing that you can truly do to make up for all the suffering that you have caused all of us…and that is to suffer yourself!" Sora cried out.

At that moment, Maleficent appeared high above Riku and launched a barrage of green energy spheres at Riku. Riku dodged most of them but one was able to catch him in the ribcage. The force of the blow sent Riku skidding across the metal floor. His body ached with pain as he groaned and coughed and staggered to his knees. Through his blurry eyes he stared at Maleficent, who recalled the visions back to the darkness. Maleficent wore a sinister smile.

"Now shall you deal with me, Riku, and all the powers of hell!" Maleficent declared and raised her staff above her head.

A black cloud formed and lighting began to strike all across the room. Riku fought the various ailments that he was plagued with mentally, as well as the effects from the physical blow that he had received; and willed himself out of the way of harm. He dodged the lightning, all while looking on the ground for his Keyblade, which had been flung from his hand from the blow. He spotted the blade, and quickly raced over to get it, rolling out of the way of a lightning bolt as well. Maleficent fired a spell at him, but he was able to dodge the blast, and continued to run from the lightning. Maleficent cackled from high above as Riku ran and dodged the various attacks, all while she fired green energy spheres at him. She raised her hands again.

"Now feel the cold winds of death!" She screamed.

Suddenly, the temperature of the room dropped a good twenty degrees and Riku could barely see as a blizzard erupted in the room. The cold winds whipped at his face and chilled him to the bone. His vision was severely impaired by the vast amount of snow, but Maleficent who was sitting high above all this could see her prey just fine. She began whipping energy spheres and green fire at a rapid pace, and more than a few times one actually caught Riku on the leg or in the chest. He trudged on, but the physical tolls were catching up to the mental tolls, which still were heavily weighing on Riku's mind. He began to ponder what they said more than dodging the objects hurled at him, as if he was subconsciously trying to take as much pain as he could, so that maybe it would vindicate him to all those that he had caused suffering to. He thought about this so much that he didn't see Maleficent swoop down, and crack him with a huge blast that sent him crashing across the room and slamming up against one of the walls. Riku lay motionless for a few seconds, before slowly trying to get to his feet…only to slump right back down to the delight of Maleficent. She sneered at the fallen Keyblade Master.

"Don't think that I'm finished with you boy! It's about to get a lot worse!" She promised Riku, as she levitated back up, and conjured up more of the winter storm.

_Meanwhile at Disney Castle:_

The King's party made their way towards the throne room, with little difficulty as very little heartless got in their way.

"It's almost too easy…" Donald commented, as the group walked down the long hallway that led to the throne room.

"Just keep moving…we are almost there." Mickey said, as his eyes darted around the hallway, looking for any sign of the heartless.

The convoy approached the large door that led into the throne room. Mickey looked at the door, to see if perhaps his wife had sealed off the room while they were gone on the fake mission. Upon seeing no magical barrier on the door, Mickey turned to the rest of the party.

"There maybe heartless in the room, so stay on guard and get ready for anything!" He warned.

He opened the door to the throne room, and peered inside. The room was dark and seemingly empty. Mickey quickly hurried everyone into room, and then shut the door behind him. The party made their way across the long rug that created a path to the throne and the secret area that housed the hall of the cornerstone, until they were roughly half-way in the room.

"We're almost there…keep moving." Mickey said to the rest of the group.

Suddenly the lights in the room flickered on, and the party looked with great surprise as the room was filled with various heartless! The quickly formed a tight circle, and Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey formed a triangle around the circle, with their weapons drawn. They heard a boisterous laugh behind them, and they turned to see the brutish cat that had imprisoned them.

"Well…well…well if it isn't the boat boy king and his lackeys!" Pete sneered with a stupid grin.

"Maleficent said that you guys would be showin up at some point, and low and behold here you are! Now you walked right into my trap. Not that I'm surprised it was brilliant!" He said to himself.

"You won't get away with this Pete!" Mickey cried.

"Ha-ha! That's rich! Well I got a room full of heartless that says I am! Sides, I really like this castle…and seeing as you threw me out on my kisser; I figure I'll turn you all into heartless to return the favor! Now get em boys!" Pete commanded as he pointed at them.

Mickey looked at the rest of his party. None of them seemed worried; rather they seemed ready to fight for their castle. Max ran up next to his father, and took a fighting stance. Goofy looked at his son with surprise at first, but beamed with pride. Donald looked to his left and saw his wife by his side. He gave her a look of concern, but was met immediately by a hard stare.

"When we got married…we said till death do us part…and I intend to go through with that vow!" She stated firmly, a look of determination adorning her face.

Donald realized that there was little point in arguing with her, and relented, even though he didn't seem too keen on the idea of his newly pregnant wife fighting heartless.

Chip, Dale, and a trio of broomsticks clustered together, in an effort to quell the heartless. Mickey saw all this and turned back towards the heartless in front of him. He caught his faithful dog Pluto beside him, growling at the heartless. Mickey turned to his party, who caught his gaze.

"Everyone…good luck and should the worst happen…I'm proud to call you all my friends." Mickey said.

The majority of them nodded, with Donald, Goofy, Chip, and Dale all saluting the King. Mickey smiled at them and returned the salute. He turned back towards the heartless who were closing in on them.

"Alright everyone! CHARGE!" He cried, and lunged towards a soldier heartless, eliminating it with one blow from his blade.

With the battle cry, the rest of the group sprang into action, and the battle for Disney Castle was well underway.

_Back in Maleficent's Castle: _

Riku was in terrible shape, as he had been rocked relentlessly by Maleficent's attacks. If that weren't troubling enough, the mere fact that Riku was hardly defending himself made it so. Maleficent struck down with another blow that Riku barely attempted to defend against. The blast hit him square in the chest, and sent him sprawling back against the wall. Maleficent cackled as Riku lurched to his feet.

"Why don't you just give up Riku? You don't have what it takes to defeat me!" Maleficent mocked.

Riku seemed to recoil at this statement, even though he was up again with his Keyblade drawn. Maleficent had a glint in her eye as she saw this.

"You wish to fight? SO BE IT!" She screamed and raised her staff high above her head.

"FEEL THE WRATH OF THE COSMOS!" She roared, and huge rocks began raining down in the room, slamming hard into the ground.

Riku saw the large rocks hurling towards him, and slowly went about dodging the rocks. Ducking and dodging, he was able to get out of the way of most of them; but the numerous small rocks that came with the large ones were able to connect, and took very heavy tolls on his already pain riddled body. Riku would usually be able to dodge the rocks but his mental state was severely affecting him. Riku continued to dodge, with his face becoming more and more bloodied and scratched as the rocks tore up his shirt and pants, until they looked as if they had gone through a shredder. Maleficent saw that she was wearing him out, and decided to go in for the kill. She summoned even more power to produce an enormous boulder, far bigger then any other rock that she produced. She launched the mammoth rock towards Riku, who was busy dodging smaller rocks, and doing a very poor job of it. Riku finally looked up and saw the huge rock barreling towards him. It was far to close for him to simply dodge out of the way, so he came up with another plan. He got his Keyblade out and waited for the rock to come closer. When it got to the right distance, he charged forward and swung his Keyblade at the rock. Typically he would have been able to easily cut the rock in two, but in his current state, he was only able to get halfway through the rock. The rock continued it's course, carrying Riku along with it. The rock smashed up against, the wall damaging Riku in the process. Riku fell to the floor, panting and coughing up blood. Miraculously, he was still alive from the blow, but he was suffering from some major internal injuries. He tried to slowly move his arms and legs, and was painfully able to. He felt his ribs and let out a cry as he realized that his ribs were broken. He slowly tried to get up under his own power, but was unable to. Maleficent smirked at the helpless Riku, and decided to inflict even more pain. She swooped down and used her staff to hoist him up in the air, until they were face to face. She looked gleeful at the pained expression on Riku's face.

"I told you Riku, you simply aren't capable of defeating me!" She said, clicking her tongue.

"g…go…to…hell…" Riku spat out, with drops of blood flying from his mouth, one catching Maleficent on her cheek.

Maleficent wiped the blood from her cheek and smiled as she looked at it on her finger. She turned her attention to Riku's ribs, and the looked at her face with a gleam in her eye.

"Do I detect some injuries Riku?" Maleficent asked.

Riku looked at her, his pained expression seemingly gave Maleficent the answer to her question, without him uttering a word.

"Well…I guess I better exploit those injuries then!" She said, and raised her staff again.

Riku's body was immediately locked up, and Maleficent's spell slowly began constricting his body hard, putting tremendous pressure on Riku's already injured ribs. Riku screamed in pain as the vice grip seemed to get tighter and tighter. Riku continued to cry out in pain. He could hear the sounds of all those people that he hurt, snickering at his pain, finally getting their retribution. He could her Maleficent's voice mocking him, but his pain drowned her voice out. Riku slowly began to pass out from the pain, as his eyes began to close. Riku slowly drifted into unconsciousness, until all was dark around him. He remained that way for quite awhile, until the sound of faint voices brought him back around. Riku open his eyes to find himself floating in nothingness, and when he looked ahead he saw Sora and Kairi standing in front of him. Riku looked fearful, immediately sheltering himself from anymore emotional harm that his friends intended to cause. Kairi was the first one to put his fears to rest with a friendly smile.

"Riku…you need to fight back!" Kairi pleaded with him.

"I…I can't…she's too powerful…" Riku admitted, not wanting to tell his friends the truth about his past.

"Come on Riku! Where's the guy I knew that consistently whooped me every time we had a wooden sword fight?" Sora asked.

"Long gone…" Riku said solemnly.

"Riku…I know that you feel bad about your past, and how you treated Sora and I, and your family. But…that doesn't matter now, the past is in the past and there is nothing that you can do about it." Kairi said.

"Just know that there are people that love you and truly care about your well being…" Kairi finished.

Riku looked at her, and thought about what she said. He looked down and thought about how he was beating himself up over the past, but how he would be letting so many people down if he failed now. He thought about Selene, and how he had let her down, and he wouldn't make the same mistake again. He looked up at Kairi and Sora, who were smiling at him. Riku nodded and slowly broke out into a smile.

"Good to have you back buddy!" Sora beamed.

"Now wake up and go kick her ass!" Sora said.

Riku woke up in immense pain, but immediately shrugged it off. Maleficent was startled to see him awake, and tried to put him back out. Riku fought with every ounce of strength left in his body to fight out of the vice grip that Maleficent had him in. Maleficent continued to fight, pushing her power to the full limit. Riku however, was using the light in his heart that he got from his friends, and was starting to break out of Maleficent's spell. He was able to get his arm free, and called his Keyblade. He took a swipe at Maleficent and caught her arm with his blade. Maleficent drew back in pain, and lost her focus freeing Riku. Riku fell to the ground, and took a battle stance. He immediately felt a stabbing pain in his ribs, and realized that he was still injured. He decided that he had better end this quick. He raced up to Maleficent and caught her with a slashing blow across the chest. Maleficent dropped her staff, and clutched her chest, which had begun to bleed through her robes. Riku clutched his ribs again, and went in for another attack, this time catching her shoulder with a blow. Maleficent recoiled again from the pain, as Riku prepared to deliver his final blow. He raced up as fast as he could, and jumped high into the air, and brought his blade down with a vertical slash. Maleficent saw it and got her hand up, and was able to use some of her magic to block the assault. Riku however, was able to get a good solid kick to Maleficent's wounded chest, which sent her tumbling to the ground. Riku fell to his knee, due to the pain in his ribs, and coughed up some more blood. Maleficent got to her feet and stared at Riku with a look of pure shock and anger.

"How is this possible!?" She roared.

Riku grinned as he spit out some more blood.

"I found my light and your mind games are no longer effective to me!" He declared.

"Now I'm going to make you pay for all the damage you've caused to me and my friends!" Riku roared.

"Insolent brat! You haven't defeated me yet! You have not yet felt…TRUE EVIL!" She screamed, as green flames shot up all around her.

There was a loud rumbling, and Riku watched as Maleficent slowly began to transform into some monstrous creature, the likes of which Riku had never seen before. The rumbling caused the ceiling to lose some of its tiling, and Riku watched Maleficent's skin become black and scaly. Riku realized what she was doing: she was turning into a dragon! Riku stared with gritted teeth at the black and purple dragon, which let out a beastly roar, and green flames shot out of his mouth. The dragon looked down at Riku, and snorted. Smoke rose from it's nostrils and its eyes seemed to form thin, dark, slits. Riku returned the glare, refusing to show any intimidation from the monster that was staring at him and roaring. A small smirk formed on his face.

"Let's do this!" He said, and darted for the legs of the beast.

The dragon bellowed as Riku ran as fast as he could around the hind legs of the monster, and leapt up on its back, much as he did the behemoth heartless earlier. The dragon tried to dispel Riku from its body, but it lacked the means to do so. Riku then raced up the neck of the beast and leapt off right before he got to the head. He turned and faced the creature, which used its mammoth jaws to attempt to eat Riku. Riku dodged the beast's fangs and as he fell, got in a few solid licks to the side of the dragon's face. It cried out again, this time out of pain, as it was now bleeding from a deep cut on the right side of its face. Riku dropped to the ground, and let out a loud yell. He clutched his ribs tighter and coughed up some more blood. The dragon's large eyes burned through Riku's as he gazed up at the monstrosity. The dragon shrieked and let loose with a flamethrower attack. Riku, fighting off pain from his battered ribs, attempted to steer clear of the scalding green flames that came out of the dragon. He was able to stay just far enough ahead of the dragon to avoid getting roasted alive, but the hot flames were still able to singe his hair and clothing.

Riku took a sharp turn and began running straight at the dragon, which had begun shooting small spurts of fire at Riku. Riku dodged the flames and continued running towards the beast. He leapt up in the air and dodged another flame by the dragon, and let loose with a nice combo of strikes to the chest. The dragon roared again in pain, and stood up on its hind legs and brought the front legs crashing down. Riku had landed safely, but quickly had to dodge the giant feet of the dragon. While he was successful in this, he was unsuccessful in avoiding the shock waves that followed them. Riku was thrown to the ground by the shockwaves, but quickly was back to his feet. Riku paid no attention to his injured ribs, and was running on pure adrenaline. He rushed in on the dragon and leapt high in the air again, this time to deliver what would hopefully prove to be the deciding blow, but he didn't the dragon's tail, which batted him out of the air, as if he was just a gnat. Riku skidded along the floor before smacking up against the wall.

He shook the cobwebs from his head and gasped for air, as the blow had knocked the wind out of him. He grabbed his chest to see if there was any more damage done to his ribs, but there really didn't seem to be. He heard a roar, and quickly had to get out of the way of a blast of flames from the dragon's mouth. Some of the flames did catch Riku's shirt, and he had to roll around to put the fire out. Smoke poured off of Riku's shirt, and he took another shot from the dragon's tail, sending him flying backwards. Riku lay on the ground, and the dragon spat even more fire out at him, which forced Riku again to flee, only to be but back to the ground with some of the aftershocks from the dragon's legs. He tried to get back up, but with his injuries mounting up, it became increasingly difficult. He eventually staggered to his feet, and was brought forcefully back down by the dragon's tail. Riku crashed for the umpteenth time into the wall, and slumped into a seated position at the base of the wall. The dragon roared in triumph, and thundered over to where the incapacitated Riku lay. Riku breathed heavily, every breath killing his damaged ribs. The dragon peered over him, and roared again. It bared its large fangs, and brought its head down to devour Riku.

Riku from his sitting position looked up and saw the head coming towards him. He quickly grabbed his Keyblade and thrust it upwards, piercing the dragon's lower jaw. The dragon's head jerked back, and it let out an ear shattering cry, and the blood rained down onto Riku. Riku got to his feet and lurched forward. He then drove his bloody Keyblade into the dragon's chest, where he thought that its heart might have been. He then pulled it out, and watched the dragon begin to thrash around wildly. As it did this, the dragon slowly seemed to get smaller. Riku watched it get smaller and smaller until the dragon morphed back into Maleficent who was breathing heavier than Riku was. The two looked at each other. Riku looked battle worn, with damaged ribs, cuts and blood all over his face, and burns on his body. Maleficent looked worse for wear, as she was apparently bleeding an awful lot, and had gashes on her face. She was breathing heavily, and looked at Riku with boiled over rage. Riku stood there stoically, the blood dripping off his blade, and off his face. His face bore a semblance of triumph, as he had walked through the fires of hell and came back standing. Maleficent raised her hand to cast a spell, but collapsed to the ground. Riku began to walk up to her.

"It's time to finish this Maleficent." He stated, with no emotion in his voice.

Maleficent snarled and spit blood at him. Riku wiped the blood off his face and clubbed her hard with the handle of his blade, knocking her out. He felt great upon doing that, and looked to finally finish of the vile woman that had caused him so much pain. Riku raised his Keyblade high above his head and was about to end a great deal of suffering, not just for him, but for many people; all with one swing of the blade. Suddenly, Riku was blindsided by a hard punch to the face. He staggered backwards and looked to see who his assailant was. He saw a hooded figure, who was brandishing twin sais towards Riku. Riku stared at the new entrant with curiosity.

"Step out of the way or I will kill you too!" Riku warned.

The person said nothing, merely adopting a fighting stance. Riku charged at the figure with his Keyblade, and took a swipe at the shadowy character. He was shocked to find his adversary not there, and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, followed by the flow of warm blood. He was then kicked hard in the ribs, and then again in the face, sending him to the ground coughing up even more blood.

The figure held it weapons at the ready, and seemed to ponder the present situation. Riku watched groggily from the floor, a small amount of blood trickled down his chin. Riku's eyes were glazed over, and before the figure knew it, he was unconscious. The figure looked at him, and then put the sais away. The figure turned to Maleficent, and began to drag her back to where the door once stood. The figure waved its hand and the door magically reappeared. The figure opened the door and walked through. As the door closed behind them, it disappeared again, trapping the unconscious Riku in the room.

"My head…" Riku said as he came too a short while later.

His whole body ached with severe pain, and his ribs and shoulder were throbbing. He slowly got up and staggered around. He glanced around and saw no sign of Maleficent or the mysterious figure.

"Well I guess I better find the Cornerstone then…" He said before he saw a portal form in front of him.

He quickly drew his Keyblade, wincing in pain from his injured shoulder, and prepared for another attack, but nothing came out of the portal. He slowly walked over to the portal and examined it. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a strong urge to go inside. Without another moment's hesitation, he stepped into the portal. He came out on the other side into a smaller room, and the portal vanished. The room had no exits or windows and had a few candles providing a dim light. Riku didn't notice all of that because sitting in the center of the room was the Cornerstone of Light. Its usual glow was greatly diminished. It's once golden core, was now sullen, almost black; black thorns covered the base of the Cornerstone as well. Still, it was the real thing, and now all Riku needed was a way to get it back to the ship. Riku looked around the room for an exit, but didn't find one.

"Well…there's a problem…" Riku said.

He thought about his dark powers, but he didn't really feel like using them, especially with all that had happened recently. He turned back to the Cornerstone and was shocked to find it gone! In its place was another portal. Riku looked around but saw no one else in the immediate area. There was no other exit, so Riku really didn't have much of a choice. He walked through the portal, and when he came out he was stunned to find himself next to his Gummi ship, and with the Cornerstone of Light right beside him! Riku looked closer and saw that someone had set the Cornerstone up on rollers as well! Riku looked around for any trace of someone that would have helped him, but again he saw no one.

"Weird…" Riku muttered to himself.

Using what little strength he had left he was able to roll the Cornerstone up the ramp and into the ship. Riku took one last sweep around the area, trying to figure out who his savior was, but no one was there. Instead of going right back into the ship, he lingered for a bit and stared at the fortress that lay in front of him. He didn't finish off Maleficent, and that concerned him, but he mostly was thinking about the visions he saw; more specifically Selene. He stayed out for a moment before the pain in his ribs reminded him that he needed to get back to Twilight Town, not just to pick up the rest of the crew, but to get some medical attention. Riku turned and went back into the ship and fired up the engines. He set the course to Twilight Town Hospital, and flew off into the night sky, leaving the World that Never Was, and the events that had transpired far behind. The memories however, would remain with him for a long time.

**End of Chapter 22**

_Whew! Well, I won't be getting anything done this weekend as I will be in NYC for the weekend, gonna see the sites, some shows, and just have a nice relaxing weekend. I will be back to work on Chapter 23 upon my return Monday night. The goal is to knock off Chapter 23 and the big chapter 24 all in the next 10 days. After that we will have an epilogue chapter, and then we will take a break, and then get right back into the story telling. The brainstorming for the sequel is really coming along and I think you all will really like it. Pay close attention to chapters 22-24 as they will lay the groundwork for the sequel. Well, the next chapters we'll finally get back to Sora, and the climatic end to Fugitive Hearts. What will happen? Tune in to the final two chapters and find out! Later everyone! _


	23. The Final Encounter

13

_Whew! Chapter 23 is here, and ready to go. I will begin work on Chapter 24 tomorrow, and I hope to have it up by Wed or Thursday. That will be the final chapter of this saga, but there will be an Epilogue chapter by the weekend. _

_Here you go enjoy! _

**Chapter 23: The Final Encounter**

Swiftly and quietly, Sora made his way through the large, dark castle. Everything had quieted down since he had laid waste to the clone, and there were very little heartless popping up. This gave him easy access around the castle, but he was having major difficulties trying to find the one staircase that would lead to the roof. He had seemingly been up hundreds of flights of stairs, all of which seemed to lead him to a dead end, and would have to go right back to where he started. He thought back to the task that lay before him. He knew what he had to do, as King Mickey had informed him back in Radiant Garden. He had pulled him aside before he had left, and told him more specific details regarding his mission. Somewhere in this castle, there would be some sort of portal, perhaps a keyhole or something like it; the mark of the Keyblade wielder that long ago had sealed this wretched place. This would enable him to seal the void once again; and effectively end the threat to the worlds. Sora climbed another set of stairs as his mind drifted off, to the other thing that King Mickey mentioned to him.

"Sora…if you find the portal you must seal it…however…if you do…you will be trapped in the void…never to see the light of day again…" Mickey's voice seemed to echo in Sora's mind.

The voice of Mickey was quickly washed away, and another voice entered Sora's mind.

"You know…I was thinking…and you know…I'm not all that cracked up on dying this early in my life…" The concerned voice of Roxas said from within Sora's head.

"I know Roxas…I don't like it much either…but I'm going to have to…" Sora said.

Roxas sighed.

"Isn't there any other way?" Roxas asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure, but I will look for any possible way to prevent that from happening." Sora said with reassurance.

This seemed to satisfy Roxas, but Sora still felt some dread about the situation. He pressed on though, continuing to climb staircases in hopes of finding the infernal machine. He came across a large staircase, and followed it all the way to the top. Sora then came upon a door, and opened it. A rush of cool air caught Sora, letting him know that he was now outside. He walked out on to the large flat rock that made up most of the roof. He gazed upwards and saw two miniature towers rising up into the dark, red sky. He looked over to his right and saw the machine shooting off into the sky. In front of it, with his back turned to Sora was a figure with silver hair that fanned out at the bottom with red tips. He wore a long silver robe, similar to what the organization would wear, except it had blue streaks running across it. There was a symbol on the back, and as Sora looked closer, he recognized it as the symbol that adorned the door to the castle.

"You finally made it; oh chosen wielder of the Keyblade." The figure sniggered.

"I don't think we've ever been introduced…" The figure said as he whirled around.

Sora looked at the man in front of him, and held his Keyblade up in case of a possible attack. He had a long, thin face, with multiple scars on his face. He smiled through sharp teeth, and a vicious gaze.

"You may be the Master of the Keyblade…but my name is Ankoku…and I am the Master of Darkness!" He said with great fervor.

_Back at Disney Castle: _

Pete had casually made his way to the front of the throne room, with no interference from the King or his friends. He had taken a seat on King Mickey's throne, with a sense of pride and mastery over the scene in front of him. He watched with great interest as the heartless grew in numbers, wearing down the already battle weary crew.

"Just a lil while longer and this castle will be all mine!" He chortled to himself.

Mickey was tired, and the heartless kept coming. He sliced through another trio of heartless, and turned to find out how his friends were faring. For the most part they were unharmed, with Goofy and Max sporting a few minor injuries, and Donald with a huge cut on his face, that he received while trying to protect his wife from an attack. One of the three brooms was destroyed, but the others were working well with Chip and Dale in taking out heartless. Mickey didn't have much free time, as he was attacked by three soldier heartless. He took them out rather quickly, but he was laboring.

"Come on Riku…I don't know how much longer we can do this…" Mickey thought to himself.

_On the top of the roof: _

"Ankoku…so you're Maleficent's lackey?" Sora said.

"Ha! A lackey? Hardly!" Ankoku said with a laugh.

"That woman was merely an aide in my quest to bring this world to its knees by infusing it with complete darkness…" Ankoku finished.

"Why? What good reason could you have to do such a horrible thing?" Sora asked.

Ankoku eyed him with contemplation.

"Revenge…on a world that as wronged me…" He said, his eyes narrowing.

"What?" Sora said apparently in disbelief.

"You see…I am an outcast…a forgotten abomination…" Ankoku began.

"I lived my life unloved and in abject poverty, scrounging for any bit of food that I could find. One night I came across a man named Ansem. He treated me very well, giving me food and shelter." He said as his voice began to quiver with anger.

"However, during my stay, I was dragged from my bed in the dead of night, strapped to a lab table, and experimented on like I was nothing more than a lab rat!" He said, with his body shaking.

"After that they dumped me off into the wild, leaving me for dead…" He said while touching the various scars on his face.

"My life has been nothing but pain and suffering; yet I have done nothing to deserve it. So I decided to fight back…and unleash my own brand of misery on all those pathetic insects, who continued to lead normal happy lives, all while I suffered." Ankoku stated, with his eyes slowly turning more and more sinister.

"Maleficent and I crossed paths during my travels, and I was able to impress her with my talents. We then formulated a plan, using some of the old text books from Ansem's study, as well as other books that we found in our travels. We discovered the location of the Amulet of Darkness, and we were able to obtain it. Using it as a key to resurrect this castle, we gained access to this wonderful machine behind me. With this machine we have been able to wreck havoc on the worlds, and make everyone feel true agony." Ankoku said grinning triumphantly.

Sora took all this in and shook his head.

"I can't believe that you could do something so horrible…" Sora said, not lowering his eyes to Ankoku.

"I'm surprised at you Sora!" Ankoku said, indignantly.

Sora looked at him with curiosity, but didn't lower his weapon.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You of all people should know what it's like to be shunned by the worlds! Weren't you just hunted down like a dog by your friend?" Ankoku asked.

"Yeah, but it was because of you that I was framed!" Sora replied.

"Yes…it was a great plan…" Ankoku said, grinning.

"But…didn't it bother you? I mean…how many times have you saved the world…helped all those people…only to have them turn on you, not even giving you the benefit of the doubt?" Ankoku asked.

Sora looked at him, still not lowering his weapon. He wasn't going to fall for any of Ankoku's tricks; but there was some truth to Ankoku's words. It wasn't the greatest feeling in the world to have Beast, Aladdin, King Triton, and others doubting his innocence, especially after all that he had done for him. He was also saddened that his close friends didn't trust him either. Sure Riku had an explanation, and King Mickey was attacked by his clone; but what excuse did Donald and Goofy have?

Sora shook his head.

No…he couldn't think this way about his friends…if they still were his friends…no…they were…they were his light!

"Nice try Ankoku…but my friends are my light! They are the reason why I continue to fight and claw, no matter what the situation is!" Sora said with a passionate cry.

Ankoku smirked at this response from Sora. He flipped his hand through his hair, and glared at Sora.

"Always the pathetic hero I see…pity…I had a hope that you might consider joining, but I see that your pathetic friends mean too much to you…" Ankoku said.

"There's nothing pathetic about my friends!" Sora yelled at him.

Ankoku seemed to take some enjoyment in seeing the anger in Sora's voice.

"Well, I must give you some credit; you put up a far better fight than that stupid boy Riku…" Ankoku said, further pressing the issue.

The rage in Sora's face seemed to boil over. He remembered what Ankoku had done to Riku; twisting his thoughts, forcing him to do his bidding.

"Shut up!" Sora yelled, the rage growing.

"Ah yes…that was splendid work by me, who really knew how well that clone would work…although you should probably know that there was one person that saw through my charade…but you know what? I don't really have to worry about that anymore do I?" He said, a thick smile forming on his face.

If Sora wasn't pissed before, he sure was now.

"You…no good…piece of…" Sora seethed.

"Oooh temper temper Keyblade Master!" Ankoku said cockily.

"I must apologize a bit however…" Ankoku stated.

"We weren't intending to leave her alive…the goal of the clone was actually to kill her, thus cutting off the connection between you two… and of course to cause you even more pain and grief." He said coolly, while watching the fire in Sora's eyes grow.

A sneer formed on Ankoku's face, as if he was about to go in for the kill.

"But who knew that the little bitch would survive the attack and pull through?" He finished off.

All of the calmness in Sora was gone. Even his nobody was livid.

"SORA!! KICK HIS ASS!!" Roxas roared.

Sora wasted no time racing up to Ankoku and unleashing a huge, but sloppy slash attack with his Keyblade. He ended up striking nothing, as Ankoku was able to easily dodge the blow, and struck Sora hard with an elbow to the face, forcing Sora to stagger back a little. Sora shook off the blow and brought his Keyblade back up, the fury still in his eyes. Ankoku stared at Sora, grinning at the poor attempt of an attack.

"Careful now Keyblade Master…anger definitely doesn't suit you!" Ankoku chided.

Sora said nothing, just held his Keyblade, ready for any attack. He tried to calm himself down, as there was no way he was going to be able to fight properly if he let his emotions control him. He locked eyes with the smiling Ankoku.

"You will regret that statement!" Sora growled.

The smile on Ankoku's face simply grew bigger.

"Ooh…is the big bad Sora going to beat me up? I'm terrified! And I don't even have a weapon; I'm completely defenseless!" Ankoku said, feigning fear.

Sora charged again, trying for a low, sweeping blow. However, Ankoku was quick enough to jump high into the air avoiding the blow. Sora looked up to see Ankoku coming back down, and with great surprise, he saw that Ankoku was wielding a weapon of some kind! Sora was quick to get his Keyblade up and blocked the attack. However, this led him wide open to a follow up attack, which came in the form of a hard kick to the sternum of Sora, sending him crashing backwards. Ankoku landed gently and gazed at the fallen warrior.

"Oops…I guess I lied…" Ankoku said with a snicker.

Sora was left unable to respond, as the blow had robbed him of air. Ankoku laughed at this too.

"Help! Sora's fallen and he can't get up!" Ankoku mocked.

Sora regained his breath and quickly kipped up from his back to his feet; and gazed at his adversary's weapon. It was a black and silver blade, with the hilt of the sword curved into the symbol that Sora had seen on the door, and on Ankoku's cloak. It stretched out into a dual blade that made a sharp slant in opposite directions of the blade. There was a black, foggy liquid that seemed to be emanating from the blade as well. Ankoku gleamed as he looked at Sora eyeing his new toy with intrigue.

"Do you like it Sora? It's a favorite of mine…it allows me not only to use it as a blade, but I can also use it to wield the power of pure darkness!" Ankoku explained.

Ankoku turned the blade over in his hand, eyeing it with amazement, and then turned his attention over to Sora.

"Do you feel it Sora? You are about to taste true darkness…far unlike any thing that you have ever faced before!" Ankoku stated.

Sora looked at the weapon and back at Ankoku. He quickly got down into a battle stance, which caused a small smile to form on Ankoku's face. Sora did not return the smile.

"Let's do this." Sora uttered in a low voice.

He charged again towards Ankoku, who awaited the attack with a cocky smirk.

_Back on Riku's ship: _

"God I love this ship!" Riku said aloud, as he was making excellent time towards Twilight Town.

Riku checked the ship's navigator, and saw that he was less than ten minutes away from the hospital. He coughed a little bit, and more blood shot up out of his mouth.

"It's a good thing too; man…it feels like I've been through a wringer…" Riku said.

The ship cruised in at a low altitude, preparing for the upcoming landing. Riku looked up at the sky, which was really beginning to turn red.

"That can't be good, I'd better hurry…" He said as the ship flew along.

Riku thought about all that had happened, without trying to bring up the very painful memory of Selene…but it was very difficult to do so. Every time he thought back to the events at Maleficent's castle, her sullen face kept popping up in his mind. He tried to push it from his memory and tried to think about the mysterious way that he was able to get both himself and the Cornerstone of Light out of the castle and into his ship. He thought about it some more, and before he realized it, he was there at the hospital. Riku quickly snapped out of his trance, and landed the ship. The hatch opened and Riku staggered out of the ship, and trudged to the door. As soon as he entered the room, he was bombarded by both Naminé and Queen Minnie. Pence, Hayner, and Olette were also there, but they weren't exactly thrilled to see him, given their last encounter.

"Riku you look horrible!" Naminé exclaimed.

"Yeah…but we have more important things to do now! We need to get everyone to Disney Castle before it's too late! I need Kairi out here, and anyone that we can fit on the ship needs to get on!" Riku said looking over at the trio from Twilight Town.

"Hey…uh…I heard that I did some things to you guys…and…I just wanted to apologize…I…I wasn't myself…" Riku said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it…" Hayner said, not really giving the impression that he was really forgiving Riku, or that he was still completely pissed at him.

Olette offered a small smile, as did Pence. Riku turned back towards the double doors, where Dr. Rogers and a nurse emerged, wheeling out the still unconscious Kairi. Riku cringed at the sight of her and watched as she was quickly wheeled out of the hospital and onto Riku's ship. Riku looked to the Twilight Town group, and motioned for them to head on to the ship. They looked at him for a second, before they made their way out to the ship, Olette hanging onto Hayner's arm. Riku then turned to Naminé and Queen Minnie. Not a word was said, but they knew to get on the ship. Riku then turned to the remaining people in the room, who seemed to be very nervous about the upcoming events. Riku noticed several small children, who seemed very frightened by the things that the doctors had told them. He walked over to them, and knelt down in front of them, grimacing at the pain caused from his ribs. He let out a small smile.

"Don't worry…we'll be back for you guys." Riku said warmly.

The children looked into Riku's battle scarred face, and seemed to gain some measure of relief from that statement. Riku smiled and got slowly back up to his feet. He turned and walked out of the hospital, and back towards the ship. He boarded the vessel, and looked around at the various people on the ship. Kairi was being monitored by Dr. Rogers and the nurse. Queen Minnie, Olette, and Naminé were nearby, chatting away. Pence and Hayner were talking as well, in addition to stealing glances at Riku.

"Is everyone ready to get out of here?" Riku asked.

Everyone nodded in unison, and Riku walked over to the ship's control panel. He fired up the engines, and the ship took off towards Disney Castle. Once they got up in the air, Riku set the ship to auto-pilot and walked over to Dr. Rogers.

"Excuse me…doctor?" Riku said, tapping the doctor lightly on the shoulder.

"Yes? What is the matter?" Dr. Rogers asked, turning around.

"I got pretty banged up during a fight recently, and I think my ribs might be broken…"  
Riku informed him.

"Hmm…well let's take a look…" Dr. Rogers said, as he began to examine Riku.

_A few hours later: _

"Wow…this ship is unbelievable!" Pence shouted out.

"Yeah…we're here!" Hayner added.

Riku emerged from the back room, with bandages and gauze on his face. His tattered shirt, had been ripped open, and everyone could plainly see the bandages that wrapped up his broken ribs. He walked up to the window of the ship and looked at the world in front of them. He flipped a couple switches and pushed a few buttons, to produce a microphone. He leaned in close.

"This is Riku, is there anyone there? I am currently in the process of landing." He said into the microphone.

He waited for a bit, but received no response. He turned back towards the rest of the group, with a serious face.

"Okay…we don't quite know what we are going to find when we get down there…so we need to be on guard." Riku said.

He turned to Hayner and Pence.

"Hayner…I need you to come with me…we will lead the front, should we be attacked." Riku said to the blond haired boy in front of him.

Hayner nodded, but didn't seem thrilled about it. Riku then looked over at Pence.

"Pence…I need you and Dr. Rogers to pull the Cornerstone of Light behind us, so that we can make this world safe from the darkness." Riku explained.

Pence and Dr. Rogers both nodded, and Riku then focused on the girls in the room.

"Naminé, Olette…I need you two to stay with the nurse here and help out Kairi in any way possible…" He said to the girls who nodded.

"Make sure that's she's okay, because I sure don't want to have to answer to Sora when he gets back." Riku added.

Those that knew Sora snickered at that remark. Riku smiled a bit, and then turned to Queen Minnie.

"Your majesty…we need you to guide us around the castle…I don't really know my way around that well, and we have no idea where your husband or anyone else is…" Riku said.

Queen Minnie nodded. Riku then turned back, and took the ship off of auto-pilot. He then began the process of landing the ship in the docking bay of the castle. He looked on and wondered what lay in store for them inside the castle. He wasn't really looking forward to another experience like he had in Maleficent's Castle, but he wasn't going to let anyone else suffer. He turned back towards the rest of the group.

"Hang on everyone! We are about to land!" He said, as the ship began to dip.

_Back in the Forbidden World: _

Sora breathed heavily, and Ankoku was doing the same. Neither one of them had gained any sort of an advantage in the battle, and thus they had reached a stalemate. Ankoku straightened up from his haggard state. He used his free hand to finger through his hair, straightening it out in the process. He turned up his nose at Sora, with a cocky sneer.

"Well, I suppose I should give you some credit…" Ankoku stated half-heartedly.

"You are quite the swordsman; and it's obvious as to why Maleficent was so keen on getting you out of the way early on…" Ankoku stated.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Sora stated, also arching his back to correct his posture.

"True…but manipulating dreams can do quite well…" Ankoku stated with a grin.

Sora's eyes grew wider, and his mouth hung open slightly.

"You were responsible for those dreams?" Sora said with surprise.

"Yes…it was a little something that I cooked up so that I could put self-doubt into you, and if I must say so myself…I think it worked quite well." Ankoku said.

"You became isolated from your friends, and it gave everyone else a reason to question you." He explained.

"So…it wasn't me…it was you! You were the one that kept me up all those nights…that caused my friends to worry…and caused me to become distant from them!" Sora said, slowly putting the pieces together.

"These past few months…my life has been a living hell. Even before all this clone business started, I was brushing off friends, and hurting the ones I loved, because I feared that I would do them harm; but it was all a ploy!" Sora said, growing angrier.

"Ooh…I'd be careful there Sora…as I said before anger is not a good look for you…" Ankoku said grinning through his teeth.

"Shut up! You have done nothing but cause me and my friends tremendous pain! I'm sick of you!" Sora roared and he lunged at Ankoku with his Keyblade.

Ankoku rolled his eyes, expecting another ill-advised attack by Sora. Sure enough, Sora used the same horizontal attack that he had first used, and Ankoku merely jumped into the air to avoid the attack. He looked down expecting to see Sora, to deliver a follow-up attack, but was stunned to find Sora nowhere in the area.

"Looking for me?" Sora said, from above Ankoku.

Ankoku stared in disbelief as Sora came crashing down with a vertical slice. Ankoku brought his own blade up to barely block Sora's attack, but was nailed with Sora's follow-up attack, that caught Ankoku in the left arm. Ankoku fell to the ground and clutched his arm. Sora dropped down and followed up with a shoulder block that sent Ankoku stumbling backwards. Sora continued his relentless assault, attacking him again and again, with Ankoku trying hard to block Sora's attacks. Sora seemed to lack control with his attacks, as if he was a man possessed with rage. He followed up another attack with hard elbow to Ankoku's face, and then another hard tackle. Ankoku was reeling from these attacks, and was dangerously close to the open door, and staircase that Sora had used to get to the roof. Sora took another shot with his blade that Ankoku was able to jump back from. Sora then followed up with another tackle and sent Ankoku reeling backwards, and a hard kick by Sora, sent him sprawling backwards until he stumbled through the door and down the staircase. Sora walked up to the door and watched Ankoku tumble awkwardly down the stairs, landing at the bottom, slumped in the corner. Sora began to follow him down the stairs, until he got down to the bottom. Sora then began beating on Ankoku, not with his Keyblade, but with his fists. He was pummeling Ankoku, taking out all his aggressions of the past few months out on his face. He felt the growing rage inside of him, as he beat on Ankoku. Ankoku was taking each of the blows, not blocking them at all. Finally he looked up, at Sora, with a scared face.

"Please…stop…Sora…" He said weakly.

"No…you will die for what you have done!" Sora said, in a voice that didn't seem to belong to him.

Sora wound up and socked him again. Sora raised his fist to strike him again, but stopped and looked down in horror. Lying in a heap with blood and bruises on her face was Kairi.

"Please…stop…Sora…" She whimpered.

"Oh god…what have I done…?" Sora said as he bent down to her eye level.

"Kairi…" Sora began.

"I'm so…sorry…" He said looking to the ground.

As soon as he looked to the ground, Kairi let out an evil grin, and kicked Sora below the belt. Sora let out a cry of pain, and stumbled back. Through teary eyes, he looked up at Kairi who stood up before him, with a smirk on her face.

"…why…?" was all that Sora could force out.

"Didn't I tell you Keyblade Master? Anger just doesn't suit you!" Kairi said.

Sora seemed confused, but was quickly able to realize what was going on, as he watched Kairi transform, growing nearly a foot in height, and her hair turning silver.

"…Ankoku…" Sora growled lowly, wincing through the pain.

"Yes…and now…you are going to feel pain…like you have never felt before." He said, wiping some of the blood off of his face.

**End of Chapter 23**

_Alright that's chapter 23, and chapter 24 will be up ASAP. _

_Later everyone!_


	24. The Ultimate Sacrifice

**Chapter 24: The Ultimate Sacrifice**

The Gummi ship docked into the Disney Castle hangar, and Riku was quick to disembark the vessel along with Hayner. They made sure that the coast was clear, and then motioned for the others to follow. Queen Minnie came down first, and Pence and Dr. Rogers came out next, wheeling out the Cornerstone of Light. The group made their way into the garden of the castle, in a tight formation. Riku took the front, alongside the Queen, and Hayner dropped back to cover the rear. The wheels that were on the Cornerstone came to be a great help for Dr. Rogers and Pence, as they allowed easy maneuverability for the large orb. They made their way through the still moonlit garden. It seemed that the garden was a bit of peace, in a universe surrounded by devastation. The group quickly darted into the main hallway with the Cornerstone in tow.

Mickey and company were not faring too well, as the once barren throne room, was filled to the brim with heartless. He was having a difficult time fighting them off, as he was very battle weary. There were scratch marks on both his arms and a huge cut from the claws of a shadow heartless on his face. He hadn't got around to checking on his friends, but he feared the worst, especially considering the fact that aside from Donald and Goofy, none of the others had much experience in battle. Things were not looking good for the King's army, but Pete was thoroughly enjoying the show. His belly shook as he laughed at the predicaments that the King and his friends were in. He grinned through his teeth, and his eyes grew large.

"Soon enough…this will be all over!" He chuckled.

Riku and company were trying to locate the group, racing through various rooms, in hopes to find out some sort of clue that would reveal the location of their friends. He looked over to the Queen.

"Where haven't we looked?" He asked her.

"We've been through a couple bedrooms, the kitchen, and the dungeon; but no sign of them…" Hayner chipped in.

"Hmmm…they must be in the throne room then!" Queen Minnie said, clasping her hands together.

Riku nodded.

"Well then let's hurry!" Riku screamed out, and the party was off again.

"Daisy? Daisy! Where are you!!?" Donald cried out, after launching a thundaga spell on the swarm of heartless that surrounded him.

He had been separated from his wife during the battle, and was frantically searching for her. Donald saw a pile of heartless off in the short distance, and feared the worst. He fought his way to the mass pile of heartless, and fired off a couple fiagra and blizzaga attacks that cleared up the mass of heartless. He was able to use his staff to fight off the rest. He looked at the ground fearful to see his wife injured, but instead saw one of the brooms shattered on the ground. He looked around and didn't see anyone else.

"Daisy! Where are you!" He cried out, and cast another thundaga spell on a group of heartless.

"Donald…I'm over here!" A distant voice called out.

"Daisy!!" Donald yelled, and fought his way over to his wife.

The two ducks reached each other and hugged. They examined each other's injuries. Donald was still sporting the cut that he had received earlier from protecting his wife from a heartless attack. Daisy had a few cuts, but other than that, appeared fine.

"We need to get this over with Donald…I don't know how much more I can fight…" Daisy said, breathless.

"I know…but we have to fight!" Donald said, encouraging his wife.

Goofy and Max were fighting beside each other, but they too were being over matched by the vast amounts of heartless. Max was especially having a difficult time, as he was not as experienced as his father.

"Dad…I don't know how much longer I can do this!" He said, fighting off a shadow heartless.

"Just keep going Maxie!" Goofy said, as he spun around and hit about five heartless with his shield.

Things were not looking good, and anyone could see the King and his friends faltering as more and more heartless were filing into the room.

"We're almost there!" Queen Minnie exclaimed.

They ran down the hallway and came to the enormous door that led to the throne room. Queen Minnie checked to see if it had been sealed, and upon realizing that it wasn't, motioned to the others to get in the room. Riku kicked open the door and rushed inside. Hayner was quick to follow, along with Pence and Dr. Rogers with the Cornerstone of Light in tow. Pete was immediately alerted to the presence of Riku, as he tore a quick pathway, knocking off heartless left and right.

"What the heck are youse guys doing here!?" Pete said, sitting up in his seat.

"Kicking you out of this castle!" Hayner called out.

"Ha! I'd like to see ya try!" Pete laughed to himself.

King Mickey was being overwhelmed by heartless, but Riku saw this and ran over quickly. He fought off the last group of heartless in the King's immediate area, and then looked to see if he was okay.

"Riku! You're here!" King Mickey cried.

"Yeah…the Cornerstone is over by the entrance!" Riku said, and ran off to help out some of the other people that were being assaulted by heartless.

King Mickey looked over to the entrance and saw his wife along with Pence and Dr. Rogers, fighting off some of the various heartless that approached them. He began to fight his way through the sea of heartless over to where the Cornerstone was. Pete saw this and laughed out loud.

"Oooh the Cornerstone…what do you think that you are going to do with that? It's busted!" He laughed out loud.

"True Pete…but I can restore it with my Keyblade!" He called out as he slashed another heartless.

Pete grew frightened.

"You can't do that! All the plans would be ruined!" Pete cried, jumping to his feet.

"Heartless! Attack the Cornerstone and the King!!" Pete ordered.

All the heartless turned towards the Cornerstone and began marching over towards it. The Queen, Dr. Rogers, and Pence were trying hard to beat back the masses, but they were overrun in short order. The rest of the group, now free from the onslaught of heartless, quickly tried to fight through the masses and get over to help out. Riku was the first to get there, and was doing a good job beating back the mob. Hayner got there shortly after and he fought alongside Riku, apparently forgetting all about his anger towards him. Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Max made their way over, to help as well. Unfortunately, the large number of heartless seemed to be too much for the small band of fighters. Pete laughed as he watched them struggle to defend the Cornerstone of Light. Mickey was fighting through the horde of heartless, and was trying hard to get to the Cornerstone. Slowly but surely he was getting closer and closer to the Cornerstone, which caused Pete to worry.

"Hey! Get the King!" He cried out.

The King continued to fight through the crowd. Queen Minnie saw him coming towards her, and tried to inch closer to him. He saw that she was doing this, and tried to stretch his Keyblade out as far as it could. He looked at her and she met his gaze. They seemed to trade words with their eyes, and Minnie inched closer. She raised her arm in the air and came within inches of the outstretched Keyblade. They closed their eyes and a blinding light enveloped them and the heartless that surrounded them. Their faith technique gave him enough room to get to the Cornerstone. Mickey raised his Keyblade up to the Cornerstone, while Riku and Hayner gave him some breathing room by fighting off any heartless that got near him. Pete's eyes filled with fear.

"NO!! STOP HIM!!" Pete yelled, but it was too late.

A circular white beam shot out from King Mickey's golden Keyblade, and struck the dull Cornerstone. The Cornerstone reacted strongly from the beam and a blinding flash filled the room. Everyone covered their eyes from the light. When their eyesight finally returned they glanced around the room. The once filled room was now empty, no Pete…or heartless. Dr. Rogers looked around at the empty room.

"Are…are they dead?" He asked.

"Yes and no…the heartless were destroyed by the light, but Pete was just expelled from the castle. Since he still has a heart, he wasn't going to be destroyed by the Cornerstone; instead he was transported outside the walls of the castle, and is now unable to get back inside." King Mickey stated.

"So…that's it! We won!" Hayner cried out.

A great cheer went up, but Mickey was quick to silence them.

"We still have work to do…Dr. Rogers, take the Queen and head back towards the ship. Get Kairi and take her to the medical wing of the castle." King Mickey said.

Quickly they went off to get Kairi into the medical wing. King Mickey then turned to Donald, Goofy, and Riku.

"You guys need to go to the Gummi ship hangar and get back to Twilight Town…take Cid's ships and take my private ship; they should be the 3 fastest ships that we have. Bring all the remaining people in the hospital back here." He stated.

The three nodded and took off, after Donald got a kiss from his wife, Goofy got a sheepish hug from his son, and Riku got a fist bump from Hayner. Chip and Dale also followed them out, so that they could help with the ships. King Mickey then turned to Max and Daisy.

"I need you two to go to the medical wing and get it set up for Kairi." He said.

They nodded and went off to carry out their task, along with the one remaining broom. He then turned to Hayner and Pence.

"I need you guys to carry the Cornerstone down to the Hall of the Cornerstone, and then the three of us will go around the castle to check out for any remaining damages." King Mickey said.

Hayner and Pence went over to the Cornerstone and began to wheel it behind the King, who walked up to the throne to hit the switch to reveal the entrance to the Hall of Cornerstone. They took the Cornerstone down into the hall and set it in its rightful place. They gazed upon it with admiration, and accomplishment. Mickey looked at it for a bit, and then turned and began to head back out. Hayner and Pence soon followed him back out of the hall.

"We've done all that we can…the rest is all up to Sora now…" King Mickey thought to himself.

_Back in the Forbidden World: _

Sora skidded to the ground, and moaned in pain. There was a huge hole in the wall from where Sora had been forcefully tossed through. There were cuts all over his face, and he was sporting the crimson mask. He crawled across the floor, trying to put some distance between himself and his attacker.

"Going somewhere Sora?" Ankoku called out as he stepped through the large hole and into the same room as Sora.

He walked up to the still crawling and bloody Sora, and smiled at the predicament that Sora was in.

"I must say…it's nice to see you in such a pathetic state…" Ankoku said.

He reared back and kicked Sora hard in the ribcage. Sora let out a loud cry of pain, and held his ribs. Ankoku merely laughed at Sora's pain, taking immense pleasure in the suffering of Sora.

"Tell me…how angry are you at me Sora?" Ankoku asked.

Sora didn't answer, and began crawling again. Ankoku laughed at Sora's determination. While Sora said nothing directly, Ankoku could detect the rage from within Sora. Using this rage, he had been able to completely dominate Sora using the various dark powers that he possessed. Various mind tricks had been played on Sora, but his favorite one had easily been using the powers of darkness to appear as Kairi to cause the pain that he inflicted become even more unbearable to Sora. Ankoku quickly did the trick to appear as Kairi, and continued to beat on Sora, all while belittling him in Kairi's voice.

"How could you leave me unprotected Sora? You just willingly took off, not even caring what might happen to me inside that fortress!" The fake Kairi cried out, kicking Sora again while he was down.

Sora recoiled with the dual mental and physical pain that this attack brought on him. The fake Kairi came around to the front and gazed down at the battered Keyblade Master. The fake Kairi grinned as Sora glanced up with a hurt expression. The fake Kairi laughed and then spat in Sora's face, following that heinous action up with a hard kick to the face, that sent Sora face first into the stone floor. Sora seemed to be blacking out, despite the fact that Roxas was trying his best to encourage Sora to get up and fight back. The fake Kairi kicked at the fallen warrior, laughing all the while. She then held out her Keyblade, which was merely Ankoku's weapon in camouflage, and pointed it at Sora. Black ooze poured out of the blade, and wrapped around the body of Sora, until he was completely covered by the ooze. She then raised the blade, and the ball of ooze slowly rose off the ground. She smiled evilly, and then pulled her blade hard to the left. The ball went crashing into the wall hard. She laughed and then continued to do it, going up, down, left, and right. Finally she seemed to bore of it, and violently flung her sword towards a wall. The ball hit the wall with such force that it broke through the wall and landed in the next room. The ooze dripped off of Sora, and he lay there motionless. Roxas tried to will him forward, but he couldn't get through to him. Back in the other room, Ankoku had stopped using the trick, and appeared now as himself. He was laughing as he walked towards the gaping hole in the wall.

"Oh what fun this is!" He said as he thought about what he was going to do next to Sora.

_Back in Disney Castle:_

"Get her hooked up to the IV!" Dr. Rogers called out to the nurse.

"Doctor…her vitals are fine, I don't think she needs it…" The nurse replied.

Dr. Rogers walked over to Kairi and looked over some of the machines that were monitoring her. He looked at the nurse and nodded.

"Okay…she doesn't need it…but I wonder why she isn't waking up? We haven't used any of the anesthetics lately, and the ones that she was on back then should have worn off by now…" Dr. Rogers said, puzzled.

"It could have something to do with Sora." Queen Minnie offered.

"That's right…Kairi and Sora's connection runs very deep, when one feels pain the other feels sadness, it's happened many times before…and their bond has only gotten stronger in the two years since the fall of Organization XIII." Naminé said.

"Well…if that is the case, then something bad must be happening to Sora…" Dr. Rogers deduced.

At that moment King Mickey, Hayner, and Pence emerged into the medical wing. King Mickey and his wife hugged, as it had been a while since they had seen each other. Olette walked over and gave Hayner a small hug as well.

"Well…there doesn't seem to be too much damage to the castle…just a few broken tables and vases…" Hayner said.

As soon as he said this, the lone broom took off to go clean up the messes around the castle.

"Thanks to Pence we were able to get some of the technology back online!" King Mickey added.

Pence just rubbed the back of his head, and smiled sheepishly.

"I was able to get into contact with Leon, and he informed me that they were successfully able to get everyone underground in Radiant Garden, and most of the citizens of Twilight Town that aren't in the hospital are also underground free from the horrible fog." King Mickey stated.

"That's good news!" Olette said.

"Also Riku, Goofy, and Donald made it to the hospital and were able to get everyone out, they said that they will need eight beds for serious patients, other than that they said that they just need a few tables for some broken bones, and other injuries." King Mickey added.

"There are some extra beds in some of the guest rooms, we can wheel some of them in here and use them in the other rooms." Daisy said.

"I can help you!" Olette said as she followed Daisy out of the room.

"There's also several tables that we can use, down in the storage area." Queen Minnie added.

"Hayner and I can help you your majesty!" Pence said.

Queen Minnie smiled.

"Thank you, but please, just call me Minnie." She said as the trio left the room.

King Mickey walked over to Dr. Rogers and the nurse.

"Any change in Kairi?" King Mickey asked.

"No…she's still unconscious…we think it may have something to do with Sora and the condition that he's currently in…" Dr. Rogers stated.

"I wouldn't be surprised…their connection is very strong, stronger than anything I have ever seen anyway…" King Mickey responded.

"I hope Sora and Roxas are okay…" Naminé said, a tad worried.

"I do too Naminé…not just for their sake…but for the sake of the universe…" King Mickey added.

"I think I'm going to head inside of Kairi…maybe I can help wake her up…" She said as she went back inside of Kairi's body.

King Mickey watched her go inside of Kairi's body, and thought about Sora, and what he had sent the young man to do. He knew it was the only way, but he still felt horrible about condemning the young man to an early death.

"I'm sorry Sora…" He said to himself.

_Back at the Forbidden World: _

Again Sora was tossed against the wall, as the ooze ball finally dissipated, leaving the battered and bloody Sora, motionless. Ankoku laughed as he walked over to Sora and kicked him hard in the side.

"Didn't I tell you Sora? You can't defeat me!" Ankoku said as he kicked Sora again.

"You are nothing to me! Just another insignificant bug that I was forced to squash to achieve all of my goals!" Ankoku bragged.

He looked down at Sora and raised his blade again, pointing it at the fallen warrior. The black ooze shot out of the blade once again, wrapping Sora up. This time however, Ankoku left Sora's head exposed. He then turned the blade slightly and lifted the blade, so that Sora would be standing upright. He sneered into the face of the injured Sora.

"As fun as this was…this is now the part where I kill you!" Ankoku said with a grin.

As he said that, the goop that surrounded Sora seemed to get tighter, and Sora began to scream out in pain. Ankoku seemed to take great pleasure in the sick display in front of him. Roxas was inside of Sora urging him to fight back, but it didn't seem to be working. Ankoku got right up into Sora's face and sneered at the screaming Sora.

"That's it…feel the pain…suffer like I have!" Ankoku mocked.

Sora continued to get crushed by the black ooze, and Roxas kept trying to get Sora to fight.

"Come on Sora! Think of everyone that will die if you don't fight back! What about Riku, Naminé, and Kairi?" He screamed at Sora.

Roxas's words seemed to strike a cord with Sora. He used all remaining strength that he had to fight back, and break through the ooze. Ankoku didn't really notice this as he was too busy gloating over the situation. Sora wasn't able to fight through the ooze. He looked at how close Ankoku was, and thought of a way to get free. The ooze was drawing tighter and tighter, and Sora had to fight off more and more pain. Suddenly he came up with an idea. His arms and legs were unable to move, but his head still could. He reared back and brought his head forward cracking skulls with Ankoku. Ankoku cried with pain, and grabbed his nose which had shattered from the blow.

"YOU BROKE MY NOSE YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" Ankoku howled with pain.

The pain caused him to lose focus on the binds that were holding Sora captive. Sora dropped to the floor.

"Come on Sora! He's vulnerable!" Roxas cried out.

Sora staggered to his feet. He lowered his shoulder and used all his strength to deliver a shoulder tackle to Ankoku. Ankoku staggered back, and Sora fell to the ground, still woozy from the punishment that he had received earlier.

"Come on Sora! Fight!" Roxas urged.

Sora got to his feet again, and drew his blade. He charged at Ankoku and took a desperate swipe at him. At the last second Ankoku saw the attack and jumped over Sora. As Sora turned around to see Ankoku; he was met with a kick to the jaw, and right after that a spin kick hit him hard in the face. This assault sent Sora crashing into the wall.

"Well well…I guess you still have some fight left in you!" Ankoku said with a smile.

He walked over and retrieved his sword. He turned around and walked back over towards Sora, who still lay on the ground motionless. Ankoku kicked him right in the stomach. Sora didn't budge. Ankoku sneered at this.

"I know your still alive Sora, so you can drop the act." He chuckled to himself.

Sora still didn't move. This caused Ankoku to grow a little irritated.

"I know you're not dead, however you might be unconscious. If that is the case…" Ankoku said to himself as he raised his sword.

"Then I have the perfect wake up for you!" Ankoku said as he brought down the sword.

Sora's eyes bulged out of their sockets. The blade punctured Sora's right breast. Ankoku grinned sadistically.

"Wakey wakey!!" He sneered.

Sora grabbed the blade and tried to push it out, but Ankoku kept his firm grip on the hilt, and in his physical state, he wasn't going to overpower anyone. Ankoku smirked as he twisted the blade, slowly digging into Sora's body. No sound exited Sora's mouth. He just lie there, his mouth gaping open, eyes bulged, and breathing heavily. Violently, Ankoku yanked out the blood drenched sword.

"Well Sora its time to finish this!" Ankoku raised his sword one more time and pointed it at Sora.

A single, thick, strand of black ooze emerged this time and wrapped around the throat of Sora like a vine. Ankoku used his sword to lift Sora up, and then he began to walk out of the room, into another one, dragging Sora along with him. He looked around and found a large window, that lead out to a stone balcony. Ankoku sneered and made his way towards the balcony, kicking open the glass doors that led to the outside. He pointed the sword out over the edge, and the vine whipped Sora over the edge of the balcony. Sora struggled to breathe as Ankoku laughed at him.

"Well Sora…it's been fun…but now it's time for you to die!" He screamed.

Sora felt the vine start to release, and he looked at how close he was to the balcony, but it was no use…there was no way that he was going to be able to get back to it. He felt the vine relinquish its grip…and he felt himself begin to fall. He closed his eyes and felt his stomach begin to go up in his throat. He fell and fell, until everything just seemed to stop.

"SORA!"

Sora's eyes snapped open. He was floating in air, in a white void. There was no sign of Ankoku or the castle at all. He looked down at his body and was stunned to find his injuries gone. He recognized the voice instantly and looked around to find her.

"Kairi?" He called out.

"I'm here Sora." Kairi called out.

Sora turned around and his heart skipped a beat. There floating in front of him was Kairi. She seemed different, dressed in a hospital gown, and her hair messed up, but Sora could have cared less.

"I missed you Kairi…" Sora said.

"I missed you too Sora…but there are more important things that need to be taken care of." Kairi said, smiling.

"I know…it's not going to well...in fact…I'm not entirely sure that I'm not dead right now." Sora admitted.

"No you lazy bum…you're not dead…the connection that we have opened this up for us…although…I'm not quite sure how…" She said laughing a little.

"It's probably because you're in some trouble here…" She said looking at him.

"I know…" Sora said, drooping his head.

"You need to dig deep down inside yourself Sora! If you don't do something soon…all the worlds will fall to darkness." Kairi said.

"Yeah…but if I do succeed…then…" Sora said his voice trailing off.

"I know Sora…I know…but the fate of the worlds depends on it…and you will always be with me in my heart." Kairi said to Sora as she drifted over to him.

Kairi came in close, and looked deep into Sora's eyes. She took her hand and placed it over Sora's heart.

"You know what you have to do Sora…and although it may be hard…just know that you will always be in my heart and I will never forget you…" She said.

Sora looked down at her, and nodded. They gazed into each other's eyes and pulled in close.

"This was it!" Sora thought to himself.

"Don't I get a chance to say goodbye?" A male voice said to the almost kissing duo.

Kairi pulled apart and Sora turned and shot a death glare at Roxas who was out of his body. Roxas looked back at him and shrugged.

"Hey I have a vested interest in this too!" Roxas said in defense.

"Yes…but you could have probably picked a better time to say something." A stern voice said coming from Kairi, though her lips were not moving.

Naminé came out of Kairi's body, and floated over to Roxas. She pulled in close and hugged him tight.

"Sorry…" Roxas said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Yeah…well you will be when Sora gets through with you!" Naminé said snickering.

"She's right Roxas." Sora said coldly.

"Ha you can't hurt me if I'm inside you!" Roxas said as he quickly dove inside Sora after a kiss from Naminé.

Naminé went back into Kairi. Kairi looked at Sora with a sad smile.

"Well…I guess this is goodbye…Sora…I wanted to tell you something…" She began before Sora silenced her.

"This is goodbye for now." He stated firmly.

"I made a promise awhile ago that said I would find my way back to you no matter what." Sora said with a firm tone.

"I'm remaking that promise right now Kairi…I will find my way back to you…I don't know how…or how long it will take…but I will come back to you, and then…you can tell me what you wanted to say." Sora stated.

Kairi looked at him…and then nodded while smiling.

"I will wait for you Sora…" She said, with a tear rolling down her cheek.

She walked up to him and places her hand on his heart. Sora felt a new sensation the likes of which he had never seen. The room turned bright white, and Sora was forced to close his eyes, until things were black around him.

"Naminé! Forget what I told you in the hospital! I will tell her!" Sora called out.

"Okay!" came the fading response, until he was brought back to reality by the sound of a gasp.

Ankoku stared in horror from the floor, as he gazed upon the figure that was floating around in front of him.

"No! How is this possible!?" Ankoku said showing fear.

Sora floated in the air before him, but he was not the same Sora that he had battered and beaten to the point of near death. This Sora's had a different aura about him. Sora's clothes had changed colors, similar to how they would when he entered a drive form. The design was similar to that of his final form attire, but his vest and pants were now gold, rather then black, and his shirt was black along with his gloves. His shoes were black, with small streaks of gold on them. There was a thin, golden, shield that surrounded him, and his two Keyblades: the Oblivion and Oathkeeper; floated alongside him. Sora looked down at his new threads and felt a rush of power and adrenaline flow through of him.

"How did this happen?" He wondered to himself.

"Was it Kairi? How did she do this?" He continued to wonder.

"Hey Sora…maybe you should worry about the task at hand, and think about this when we'll have a long time to think about things like that." Roxas said from inside him.

Sora snapped back to focus and saw Ankoku staring at him with a concerned look on his face. Ankoku was back on his feet with his weapon drawn. Sora floated over to the stone balcony and set down on it. He stared a hole through Ankoku, who was still shocked at this latest development.

"You had your fun Ankoku…but now it's my turn!" Sora stated menacingly.

_Back in Disney Castle: _

"We're back!" Donald cried out as he emerged into the emergency room.

"All the doctors are setting up in the other rooms, and all the patients are being brought in." Riku said.

"Did you get everyone out from the hospital?" Queen Minnie asked.

"Yup! Everyone's out of there yer majesty!" Goofy said with a smile.

"Good, well…hopefully Sora is successful and we can get all these people back to their own worlds and carry on with our lives." King Mickey said.

"He will…this is Sora that we are talking about…the Keyblade's chosen one!" Riku said.

At that point there was a murmur from the bed where Kairi lay. The entire room stopped what they were doing and turned to watch Kairi slowly open her eyes. She sat up and was immediately rushed upon by everyone in the room. Dr. Rogers and King Mickey had to push back some of them so they could give Kairi some air.

"Thanks for the concern everyone." Kairi said.

"How do you feel?" Riku asked coming up to her.

"Better than you look apparently…" She said eyeing his bandages.

"Gifts from Maleficent…" Riku said with a smirk.

"Well if you won…I'd hate to see what she looks like." Kairi said returning the smile.

"Kairi…I don't want you to strain yourself…but do you have any updates on Sora?" King Mickey asked.

Kairi turned with a somewhat hurt expression.

"Yes…he's carrying out his mission…" She said with a bit of sadness in his voice.

King Mickey nodded.

"Why do you sound so sad Kairi?" Riku asked.

Kairi looked at King Mickey with a confused look on her face.

"Didn't you tell them about Sora's mission?" She asked him.

King Mickey looked taken aback by this, wondering how she could have known about this…but then realized that she must have been in connection with Sora. He sighed and looked around at the puzzled faces in the room. Kairi saw this, and decided to bail him out for a short while.

"Um…I'm feeling kinda icky…would it be okay if I was able to wash up and stuff?" She asked.

Dr. Rogers pulled his gaze from the King and turned back towards Kairi.

"Y…Yes, have the nurse help you." Dr. Rogers said.

The nurse walked over to Kairi and helped her down to the ground. Olette broke away from staring at the King as well.

"I'll help too!" She said.

Queen Minnie and Daisy also seemed to take a hint, and both walked over to Kairi.

"Yes dear, we will all pitch in." Queen Minnie said, as she and Daisy followed the others out of the room.

The women walked down the hall, and as they neared the end, they heard the loud yell of Riku, and several shouting matches that occurred afterwards.

_Back in the Forbidden World: _

Ankoku slammed hard into the wall, bursting through to the other side; receiving a taste of his own medicine. Sora floated over, and continued his assault on Ankoku. Ankoku was suffering from various cuts on his face, his already shattered nose, and a cut on his shoulder; but now, he had new injuries from the dual Keyblades, that seemed to have a mind of their own, and they created several new gashes along his torso and chest. Ankoku staggered to his feet, and tried to use his own blade to try and fight back against Sora, but his blade was knocked from his hand by the Keyblades. Sora then followed up this attack with a huge slash to the chest of Ankoku. Ankoku got out of the way for the most part, but a part of the Keyblade did catch him enough, to do some damage. Ankoku staggered back, and Sora delivered a vicious kick to his sternum, sending Ankoku crashing through the doorway and back into the main hallway. Ankoku staggered back to his feet, and Sora was right there to meet him with a hard punch to the face that racked Ankoku's already injured face with even more pain. Ankoku tried to put some distance between himself and Sora, and made a mad dash for the nearest staircase. Sora was quick to follow Ankoku who was stumbling around like a drunkard, knocking over anything in his path to slow down Sora's relentless attack. Down and down he fled, with Sora right behind.

"You brought this all on yourself…Ankoku!" Sora stated as he continued to stalk the fleeing Ankoku.

"Yes, you've had a bad life and I sympathize, but destroying the rest of the worlds out of revenge is not the answer. What you are doing is sick and disgusting, and you will pay for it!" Sora said.

Ankoku continued to run from Sora, eventually making his way down to the main floor of the castle. He rushed through another door, and into a large room. Sora followed him in, but didn't see Ankoku. He looked around the dimly lit room, but didn't see his adversary. He floated into the room, and saw a few chairs lined up on the walls, and a large chandelier hanging from the center of the room. He walked towards the center of the room and noticed a large object on the opposing wall. It was a large marble statue, of the symbol that he had seen on the door of the castle, and on the back of Ankoku's cloak. Sora eyed the statue with curiosity. There was a weird marking in the middle of the statue. As he looked closer at the statue, he made out the symbol as a smaller version of a keyhole. One of his Keyblades began to react to the small hole, and Sora realized that this was the seal that King Mickey was talking about.

"Don't even think about it!"

Sora's snapped around and saw Ankoku rushing up towards him, with a new blade drawn. Sora sidestepped him and backhanded him in the back of his head with the hilt of the Keyblade. Ankoku stumbled forward, and Sora was quick to follow up the attack, allowing the Keyblades to do what they wanted. Ankoku tried to fend off the attack, but the combination of two Keyblades was too much for Ankoku and he quickly fell to the ground, wounded from the Keyblades. Sora called off the blades and looked down at the injured Ankoku. Ankoku looked up at Sora, through pained eyes.

"So now you're going to finish me off?" Ankoku asked, a pool of blood and black ooze forming around his body.

"No…I'm not going to kill you." Sora responded.

Ankoku looked up at him confused.

"Am…I free to leave then?" He asked.

"No…you still must atone for your actions." Sora said, and turned back towards the statue, and the small keyhole began to glow.

Ankoku watched with great fear as Sora walked towards the keyhole, and grabbed one of the floating Keyblades.

"What are you doing?!" Ankoku cried out.

Sora did not take his eyes off the keyhole.

"I'm going to seal this place forever…this way…the worlds can return to normal!" Sora said.

Ankoku eyes grew wide.

"But…I'll be trapped forever! You will be too!" Ankoku said.

Sora stopped and turned towards him.

"I'm aware of this." He said, turning back around to the keyhole.

Ankoku looked around desperately, his mind racing to see what he could do or say to stop Sora from going through with this.

"What about your friends? What about the princess?" Ankoku said.

Sora stopped again, and pondered it. Ankoku seemed to have a glimmer of hope, that maybe he had been able to stop Sora from doing this. Sora turned to him, and smiled. With that smile Ankoku's hope was washed away.

"Those two things that you just mentioned is the sole reason why I am doing this…so that they will be safe." Sora said.

He then turned, and began to raise his Keyblade towards the keyhole. Ankoku quickly lurched to his feet and summoned another sword. He used all his remaining energy to rush towards Sora, with his blade raised.

"I will not go out this way!!!" He roared as he raced towards Sora.

Sora turned to see Ankoku barreling down upon him, and quickly turned and allowed his Keyblades to do what they could do. Ankoku raised the blade high above his head exposing his midsection to the Keyblades, which were quick to take full advantage of that fact, as in quick fashion they took 3 swipes at his stomach, cutting deep gashes into the midsection of Ankoku. Ankoku stopped and staggered around. He looked down at his stomach, and fell to his knees. His mouth hung open and his lower lip quivered as he saw his silver cloak turn blackish red in the stomach area. He opened his cloak and looked at the large gashes in his stomach. The blood was mixing with black ooze and draining out of his body at an alarming rate. He looked up at Sora, who seemed disappointed with the results. Ankoku looked back down at his stomach, and then up at Sora again. His skin turned very white and his eyes rolled up in the back of his head. His body then fell face first to the ground, and didn't move. Sora gazed down at the fallen Ankoku and shook his head. He hadn't intended to kill him, but in the act of self-defense it had happened. He quickly exited out of his new form, back into his normal clothes. Sora then turned his gaze away from the tragic figure and turned back towards the statue and the task at hand. The symbol continued to glow as he approached it.

"Well…I guess this is it…" Roxas sighed from inside Sora.

Sora smiled a bit.

"Don't worry Roxas…we'll find our way back to Kairi and Naminé…I promise." Sora stated.

"I trust ya Sora…go ahead and do what you gotta do." Roxas said.

Sora nodded, and held his Keyblade up. He looked at the Oblivion Keyblade…but then lowered it.

"What are you doing Sora?" Roxas asked from inside him.

"Just making a quick change." He said as he rummaged around in his pocket.

He pulled out the Oathkeeper Keychain, and quickly attached it to his Keyblade.

"This will always remind me of the promises that I make, and this one I intend to keep." He said, as he put the Oblivion Keyblade back into his pocket.

He raised the blade up back towards the Keyhole.

"I will return to you Kairi…I promise…" He said as he closed his eyes and felt the energy run through him and out his blade, towards the keyhole.

He saw the light hit the Keyhole, and then felt himself being pulled in by a suction, and everything went dark. From the outside of the castle, it looked as if the castle was being sucked up by a vacuum cleaner, until there was no trace of it left, and the world just seemed to be a barren wasteland, with no sign of life at all.

_Back in Disney Castle: _

Everyone was sitting in the medical wing. Kairi had come out of the bath, and felt incredibly refreshed. The mood in the room though, had taken a drastic turn for the worse since King Mickey had informed everyone what exactly Sora's mission had entailed. Riku was taking it pretty hard, as the last few days had not been very kind to him. Kairi was unhappy, but she at least had gotten to speak to Sora, before…

Suddenly, she felt something, something important leaving her. She lowered her head, and realized that Sora had successfully completed his mission. The other members of the room noticed that she had bowed her head, and they all turned to her, concerned. Kairi looked up at all the faces, and gave a sad smile. Without any words said, everyone was able to figure out what this meant. Daisy started to sob, and was comforted by an equally sad Donald. Mickey's eyes and ears both drooped, as Minnie hugged him. Olette buried her face into the shoulder of Hayner, and Pence dropped down into a seated position. Riku looked to the ground and silently walked out of the room. It was a somber moment for all of them. The battle had been won and the worlds had been saved, but the cost of victory was far greater than anyone had been willing to pay.

_Two weeks later: _

The fog had for the most part disappeared, and the worlds were slowly getting back to their normal states. Major rebuilding projects were taking place in the various worlds, and arrangements were being made for another World's Council that King Mickey was currently pushing for. However, all that was secondary today. Many people had been able to make it to Destiny Island for this important ceremony. The King and Queen were there, as were Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Max. Hayner, Pence, and Olette had also been able to make the trip, as had Leon, Aerith, Cloud, Yuffie, and Cid. Other people from various worlds were there including Aladdin and Jasmine, Prince Adam and Belle, and others. Many people from Destiny City had made their way out to pay their respects also. Kairi and Riku were prominent in the center, along with Sora's parents. The waves crashed on the sandy beach, as a man in cloth came up to a large object, and smiled at all the people that were sitting on the beach.

"Thank you all for coming…we are gathered here today to mourn the passing of a true hero…Sora Hakiri…" The man began.

The service continued for an hour, and there were a lot of tears, especially during the unveiling of a monument dedicated to Sora's memory. Once the service ended, many stayed to pay their respects, but the ones who stayed the longest were Kairi and Riku. Once everyone was gone, the two stayed there for a long time afterwards. Neither said anything, until finally Riku broke the silence.

"I can't believe he's gone." Riku muttered.

Kairi nodded.

"It will take some time to get used to, but we should remember the good times we had with him." She stated.

Riku looked at her with a puzzled look.

"You know you're taking this pretty well…" Riku said.

Kairi smiled.

"I was able to talk to him…through my mind…and he made a promise to me, as I did to him." Kairi said.

Riku looked at her with curiosity, but decided that it wasn't worth pressing the issue. He looked at the setting sun, and turned to Kairi.

"I'm going to head home…are you coming?" He asked.

Kairi shook her head.

"No, but I'll see you later." She said.

Riku nodded and turned around and walked back towards the bridge. Kairi watched him leave and turned back to the small monument. She looked up into the sky and smiled.

"I made a promise to you Sora Hakiri…and I intend to keep it!" She said, as she watched the first stars begin to come out.

Kairi stayed for a bit longer, before turning around and heading back towards the mainland.

**End of Chapter 24**

**End of Story**

**The End **

_And there you go! Let me first start off by saying how much it was to write this story, and that it really helped make the summer fly by, as I was constantly working and things of that nature. _

_Now some of you might be wondering where the epilogue went. Well, I decided to change the order of stories. Rather than just have an in-between story that falls within the first story, I'm making it an in-between story, much like Chain of Memories. _

_I'm sorry that the sequel hasn't gotten done yet, I've been busy; but I promise that it will get underway now that the semester is nearly done. _

_After this one which is titled: Against All Odds; we have the next major story (kinda like the Kingdom Hearts II) and that will probably be it for a while. _

_Until then…thank you all very much…and keep in good health. _

_Thanks again!_

_Later! _


End file.
